When the Boston Red Sox signed Liam Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, they knew they were rolling the dice. Hendriks wasn’t just coming off Tommy John surgery - he was also a recent cancer survivor. The odds of him contributing in 2024 were slim from the start, but Boston was betting on the long game: that the former All-Star closer could rehab, rebound, and eventually become a weapon out of the bullpen.
That bet never cashed. Hendriks’ 2024 season never really got off the ground.
Elbow inflammation kept him sidelined early, followed by an abdominal strain, and then, just as he was trying to ramp up again in September, more forearm trouble. That led to another elbow surgery - and shut the door on his Red Sox tenure.
In total, Hendriks logged just 13 2/3 innings in Boston. For a guy who once led the American League with 38 saves in 2021, it was a frustrating chapter in an otherwise remarkable career.
Now, at 37, Hendriks is heading back to where it all began.
The Minnesota Twins, the same organization that signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Perth, Australia back in 2007, have brought him back on a minor league deal. The signing was confirmed on the team’s official transaction wire Thursday, and it comes with an invitation to spring training - a clear sign that Minnesota sees a potential path for him to contribute in 2026.
It’s a full-circle moment for Hendriks, who made his big-league debut with the Twins in 2011. His first stint in Minnesota wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
Over three seasons, he threw 156 innings with a 6.06 ERA before being designated for assignment following the 2013 campaign. From there, he bounced around - Toronto, Kansas City - before finally finding his footing in Oakland.
It was with the A’s in 2019 that Hendriks transformed from journeyman to elite closer. That season, he saved 25 games, earned his first All-Star nod, and firmly established himself as one of the most dominant late-inning arms in the American League. He took that momentum into free agency and signed with the Chicago White Sox, where he immediately delivered - leading the AL in saves with 38 in 2021 and adding another 37 in 2022.
Then came the toughest fight of his life.
Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the 2022 offseason, Hendriks battled through treatment and made an emotional return to the mound in 2023. But the comeback was short-lived. After just five appearances and one save, elbow issues resurfaced, cutting his season short and leading to yet another surgery.
Now, the Twins are giving him a shot at one more chapter.
And there’s a real opportunity here. Minnesota’s bullpen is in flux after a flurry of moves at last year’s trade deadline that saw five relievers shipped out.
There’s no set closer heading into spring training. Cole Sands and Justin Topa are in the mix, and lefties Taylor Rogers and Kody Funderbunk are expected to be part of the Opening Day roster.
But the back end of the bullpen is wide open - and if Hendriks can stay healthy, he could absolutely force his way into that conversation.
The Twins also made a minor move Thursday, acquiring left-handed reliever Anthony Banda from the Dodgers in exchange for international bonus pool money. It’s a depth move, but again, it underscores the reality: Minnesota’s bullpen is still a work in progress.
For Hendriks, this isn’t just another comeback attempt. It’s a return to where it all started - and maybe, just maybe, a chance to finish his career on his own terms.