Veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks has been granted his release by the Twins, per Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He can now sign with any club.
As an Article XX(b) free agent (i.e. six-plus years of service, finished last season on a major league roster/injured list) who signed a minor league deal in free agency, Hendriks had uniform opt-out dates written into his contract: one a week before Opening Day, a second on May 1 and a third on June 1. When a player triggers an out clause of that nature, the team has 48 hours to either add him to the 40-man roster or release him back into free agency. The Twins opted for the latter route.
Hendriks, 37, was originally signed by the Twins out of Australia back in 2007. He made his MLB debut as a Twin in 2011 but was never able to settle into a rotation role. He eventually found himself designated for assignment and passed around the league via a series of waiver claims and small trades. From 2013-15, Hendriks bounced from the Twins, to the Cubs, to the Orioles, to the Blue Jays, to the Royals and finally to the A’s, with whom he’d eventually break out.
Even in Oakland, Hendriks took years to pan out. At one point, the A’s passed him through waivers unclaimed and outrighted him off the 40-man roster. But in 2019, a 30-year-old Hendriks emerged not just as then-skipper Bob Melvin’s closer but as one of the best relievers in baseball. From 2019-22, Hendriks pitched 239 innings with a 2.26, a mammoth 38.8% strikeout rate and a tiny 5.1% walk rate. He signed a three-year, $54MM deal with the White Sox ahead of the 2021 campaign and was excellent there for two years before health troubles arose.
Hendriks missed time after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He thankfully went through chemotherapy and came away cancer-free, but he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow not long after and wound up requiring Tommy John surgery. He inked a two-year deal with the Red Sox, planning to rehab the first year and join their bullpen the second. It didn’t go as well as hoped. Hendriks pitched 13 2/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA last season.
The return to the Twins this winter had the makings of a potential full-circle homecoming, but it seems Hendriks will ultimately land elsewhere. He’s had a decent spring, allowing three runs in seven innings, but Hendriks allowed nine hits, walked five batters, plunked another and only totaled five strikeouts. He averaged 93.9 mph on his four-seamer, which would be his lowest mark since he moved from the rotation to the bullpen back in 2015. He averaged 94.9 mph in Boston last year.
Hendriks can now sign anywhere. Time will tell whether his showing with Minnesota this spring will earn him a big league deal with another club. As for the Twins, they’ll likely be on the lookout for bullpen help themselves on the late spring waiver/opt-out market. Minnesota has Taylor Rogers, Cole Sands, Anthony Banda and Kody Funderburk more or less locked into spots. Trade acquisition Eric Orze and veteran Justin Topa have had poor showings this spring but entered camp as favorites to hold bullpen spots. Veteran Andrew Chafin has pitched decently as a non-roster invitee and has a chance to make the club, though he had the same opt-out clause Hendriks took yesterday. It’s not clear whether he’s exercised it, but if he did, the Twins will have until tomorrow morning to make a decision.
I thought he had a clear path to their bullpen
What a stupid decision he definitely had command issues but his fastball was still in the 90’s and I think he would have found some success pretty quick on the team.
It might be time to hang up the spikes. What a fighter!!!
When that time comes, Liam Hendriks should sign a one-day contract and retire as a White Sox. He was a fan favorite just like recently passed closer Bobby Jenks.
Perhaps the White Sox might also be interested in retaining Hendriks as future coach or at the very least as their team ambassador to Australia. 🙂
9 hits, 3 earned runs, 5 walks and 5 strikeouts in 7 innings for the Twins this spring. Not great, but not terrible either. Could be a bullpen needy team will give him a chance, but might have to be another minor league deal
Not sure which bullpen more needy than Twins
14 base runners in 7 innings is not good on any metric.
Dude needs to hang em up and get a job in media. Great talker. Bad pitcher.
Nah
Oh ok. He should def bounce around the outskirts of the league for another few years, never catching on a mlb roster, maybe rehabbing more injuries too. You’re right!
Why not? It’s his choice if he wants to.
Ha ha. Someone is trying to be me !
That’s awesome. Seriously flattered. Go get ‘em foppert4.
Have him throw 40 pitches as a reliever yesterday and then grant him his release today. Interesting.
Love the energy Liam brings, hopefully he lands on his feet.
This is going to be a truly all time awful bullpen isn’t it?
Pirates
“granting his release” sounds like something Aragon would do because he fulfilled his oath to aid the heir of Isildur by defeating the Corsairs of Umbar at Pelargir.
I hope he finds another team and does well.
He may have to take a minor league contract to start to show improved command and some increased velocity. I wish him well. It’s not just the cancer, injuries and time lost he’s fighting. He’s also fighting father time.
Could see him latching on with the D’Backs, Angels, Astros or White Sox – all have RP’s on the mend with a potential big league job opening in their bullpen.
We have big league jobs opening but also internal arms to take the job. No thanks to Hendriks.
They could have released him earlier, giving him enough time to find another team. It’s borderline criminal and selfish on the part of the Twins
Hendriks opted out. As a XX(b) free agent, he had uniform opt out dates written into his contract. Has nothing to do with the Twins.
Here is a list veterans with other teams in the same situation as NRI who have similar opt outs:
mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/33-veterans-with-loomin…
Geeze, the Twins have a crap bullpen and they let Hendriks walk. What a shame. The Twins continue to Twins, that’s for sure. He’ll latch on with another team and be lights out since that’s the way it goes for the Twins.
If only there was an Australian baseball media industry he could come home too. Stuck over there if he wants to stay in the game. Be interesting to see what he does.