FORT MYERS, Fla. – A new face arrived at the Fenway South complex early Monday morning: Three-time All-Star closer Liam Hendriks agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Red Sox, a source told MLB Mark Fine sand from .com.
The contract includes performance bonuses that can increase the value up to $20 million and includes a mutual option for '26.
MassLive's Chris Cotillo was first to report that the Red Sox were close to a deal for Hendriks. The deal is still pending and has not yet been confirmed by the club.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery on August 2 to repair a torn right ulnar collateral ligament, Hendriks hopes to return at some point this season. He's on the front end of the 12- to 14-month recovery period, but that wouldn't get him back into the majors until after the All-Star break.
It's not uncommon for relievers to come back from Tommy John surgery quicker than starters because the pitch count builds up less.
New Red Sox right winger Lucas Giolito was excited to learn that his former White Sox teammate was close to coming on board.
Giolito was taken aback when Hendriks cryptically began a text conversation with him early Monday morning.
“He texted me: 'Where are you?' I said, 'I'm in my closet getting dressed.' What do you mean?' It was the most random thing ever,” Giolito said. “He said, 'I'm in the breakfast room.' I'm like, 'What do you mean? What's going on?' I was pretty excited. When I got here I saw him briefly. He completed all his physical tasks. I’m sure I’ll spend more time with him tomorrow.”
The timing of last year's elbow injury was particularly unfortunate for Hendriks, who returned to the mound on May 29 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during the offseason. He made only five appearances, recording one save and posting a 5.40 ERA before being placed on the injured list on June 12 due to right elbow inflammation and ultimately undergoing surgery.
“Liam is great. He will bring a lot of energy,” said Giolito. “Of course he has to survive the operation. I know he will recover from this. He's a really strong guy. I know he proved it. He beat cancer and came back and played baseball. I think he will bring a lot of energy. Super intense competitor. High leverage arm. Back end of the bullpen. It’s a great step for the club and I’m happy to have another friend here.”
Kenley Jansen, the subject of recent trade rumors, is Boston's current closer. He will be a free agent at the end of Season 24.
Boston's strong one-two combination of Jansen and top setup man Chris Martin at the back of the bullpen is considered the club's strength.
The signing of Hendriks is a forward-looking move by Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow. Although his greatest success numbers came in 2025, a source stated that the club expects Hendriks to be able to contribute to the '24 team.
At his best, Hendriks is a dominant pitcher, just one year removed from back-to-back All-Star seasons with the White Sox in 2021 and 2022, posting a combined ERA of 2.66 with 75 saves over the two-year span .
“He proved it,” Giolito said. “He has a good track record. At the end it comes with this high intensity. I have seen him close the door so many times in recent years, both against him and with him.”
In 2022, he ranked near the top in many Statcast pitching metrics, including the 99th percentile in whiff rate (41.3 percent) and the 96th percentile in expected batting average (.182). Hendriks peaked with an elite 42.3% strikeout rate in 2022 and fanned out 38.8% of batters from 2019 to 2022.
The right-hander has spent each of his first 13 MLB seasons in the American League, debuting with the Twins in 2011 and pitching for the Royals, Twins and A's before signing with the White Sox in free agency in January 2021.