A veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks was granted his waiver by the Twins, according to Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He can still sign with any club.
As an Article XX(b) free agent (ie six or more years of service, having finished last season on the major league list/injured list) who signed a minor league deal in free agency, Hendriks had the same opt-out dates written into his contract: one week before Opening Day, the second on May 1 and the third on June 1. When a player triggers that 4 hours to add an 8-hour opt-out clause. 40 man roster or release him back to free agency. The twins chose 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 unable to establish himself in a rotation role. He eventually found himself assigned and went through the league through a series of waiver claims and minor trades. From 2013-15, Hendriks bounced from the Twins, Cubs, Orioles, Blue Jays, Royals and finally the A’s, where he ended up.
Even in Oakland, Hendriks took years to get out. At one point, the A’s placed him on unclaimed waivers and removed him from the 40-man roster. But in 2019, the 30-year-old Hendriks emerged not only as then-captain Bob Melvin but as one of the best pitchers in baseball. From 2019-22, Hendriks threw 239 innings with a 2.26 strikeout rate, a 38.8% strikeout rate and a 5.1% walk rate. He signed a three-year, $54MM deal with the White Sox before the 2021 campaign and was good there for two years before health issues arose.
Hendriks missed time after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Thankfully he underwent chemotherapy and came out cancer free, but he tore the cruciate ligament in his elbow shortly afterwards and was injured requiring Tommy John surgery. He signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox, who plan to rehab the first year and join their second base bullpen. It didn’t go as well as we had hoped. Hendriks pitched 13 2/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA last season.
Returning to the Twins this winter has been the making of a full-circle homecoming, but it appears Hendriks will land elsewhere. He had a decent spring, allowing three runs in seven innings, but Hendriks allowed nine hits, walked five batters, threw one strikeout and allowed just five strikeouts. He averaged 93.9 mph on his four-seamer, which would be his lowest mark since moving from the rotation to the bullpen back in 2015. He averaged 94.9 mph in Boston last year.
Now Hendriks can sign anywhere. Time will tell if his performance with Minnesota this spring will earn him a big deal with another club. As for the Twins, they will likely be looking to help themselves in the spring/offseason market. Minnesota has Taylor Rogers, Cole Sands, Anthony Banda again Kody Funderburk more or less locked into places. Commercial acquisition Eric Orze and veterans Justin Topa had some poor showings this spring but entered camp as the favorites to hold the bullpen spots. A veteran Andrew Chaffin He has pitched well as a free agent and has a chance to join the club, although he had the same opt-out clause that Hendriks took yesterday. It is not clear whether he is exercising but if he has, the twins will have until tomorrow morning to make a decision.
