Liam Hendriks, Red Sox Agree to Two-Year Contract, per Reports

The Boston Red Sox reportedly have lured a veteran closer away from the Chicago White Sox.

Former Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has found a new team just as the spring training schedule is about to begin. 

Hendriks has reached agreement on a contract with the Boston Red Sox, pending a physical, according to multiple reports. Hendriks’s deal with the Red Sox is worth $10 million over two years, with additional performance bonuses, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney and MLB’s Mark Feinsand. 

Hendriks, 35, has amassed 116 saves and a 3.82 ERA in 13 big league seasons, spanning tenures with five teams. 

Hendriks became one of the top closers in baseball during his time with the White Sox, ranking in MLB’s top three in saves in 2021 and ’22 while recording sub-3.00 ERAs in both campaigns.

Liam Hendriks led the American League with 38 saves for the Chicago White Sox in 2021. Now, he’s reportedly signing with the Boston Red Sox / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Australian right-hander was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the end of the ’22 MLB season and began treatment the day after the diagnosis. After four rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Hendriks overcame the cancer to return to the mound in May 2023. 

Unfortunately, his comeback bid was cut short by a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, which required Tommy John surgery. 

Hendriks is expected to miss most of the 2024 season, so the Red Sox likely are betting on a healthy Hendriks returning late this year or in 2025.