The Red Sox have declined their end of a $12MM mutual option for right-hander Liam Hendriks, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The former closer will take a $2MM buyout and return to free agency.
The decision doesn’t come as a surprise, as Hendriks has hardly pitched over the past three years. In 2023, a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma kept him out of action for a while. He eventually won that battle and was declared cancer-free, only to require Tommy John surgery after just five innings pitched.
He reached free agency going into 2024 and the Red Sox signed him to a two-year deal with a $10MM guarantee. That took the form of a $2MM salary in the first year, a $6MM salary in the second, followed by the aforementioned option and buyout. The Sox knew they might not get any contributions from Hendriks in the first year but were hoping their investment would pay off in the second, with Hendriks ideally returning to his previous elite closer form.
It didn’t work out that way. Hendriks missed the entire 2024 season and then elbow problems lingered into the following year. He spent most of 2025 on the injured list, only throwing 13 2/3 innings. He underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery in September and has an uncertain timeline.
Hendriks will presumably be focused on getting healthy for a while. He will celebrate his 37th birthday in February. He’ll be a candidate for another bounceback deal at some point, though the shape of that deal will depend upon his future health outlook.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Might be time for Liam to hang it up. I’d be surprised to see him get anything other than a minor league deal with a ST invite. If his playing days are indeed over, he’s got a great voice for broadcasting.
He really lucked out on this last contract being a major league deal, it pushed him over the golden 10 year service time mark.
I could see him wanting to sign with a team for access to rehab and trainers, but, like you said, itd be shocking to see anything more than a split contract paying different rates for time in the minors and majors at best
Meow – I agree with Liam, he didn’t go through TJS just a couple years ago so he can retire now. I hope he keeps battling and beats the odds.
Then comes home and puts into developing the game down here.
No surprise there. What a mistake that signing was. Seemed like a nice guy though.
Steve – One of many similar mistakes.
Remember Adalberto Mondesi? The Red Sox paid him $3M to NOT play for them in 2023.
Paxton was another disastrous 2-year signing.
Who’s gonna be the next bust, Sandoval?
I know it wasn’t a smashing success and I wouldn’t redo the contract, but I don’t know that Paxton deserves the Mondesi/Sandoval treatment. Before he got lit up his last few starts in ’23 he had a 3.3-something ERA and 4-ish FIP, and he really hit a groove mid-summer.
More to the point, Hendricks was a regret but you can’t root against the guy. Whether on the field, in the booth, or with his family, wish him the best in what’s next
dirty – I agree Paton pitched well at first, but in the end he got $10M for 96 innings of 4.50 pitching.
It’s high time for Breslow to stop wasting millions on broken players, if he’s so bent on it at least try someone like Brandon woodruff
Tar – Funny thing is Breslow did NOT want to give Sale another chance last year ….. obviously it was a horrible decision.
I hope this finally ends the “Pay for two years, pitch for one” obsession the Red Sox had with rehabbing pitchers.
If not Sandoval will…..