The White Sox reached an agreement with the relief-free agent Liam Hendriks, pending a physical examination, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. It’s a $ 54 million three-year warranty with a fourth season club option, for Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Both the option and the purchase are worth US $ 15 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, then Hendriks right-handed will earn that money, regardless of how long he’s been on the team. Passan adds that the White Sox would be able to pay for the acquisition over several years. Hendriks is a client of the ALIGND Sports Agency.
So far, this is the biggest guarantee given to any free agent during what has been a slow low season. It’s a surprise when you consider how winter has opened up for appeasers, with Cleveland dismissing a star closer Brad Hand instead of paying him a $ 10 million option for 2021 and no other team has claimed it. After that, it would have been easy to expect the appeasers to continue to do a little poorly this off-season, but Hendriks will be well paid. In fact, at $ 18 million a year over three seasons, Hendriks will surpass the record average annual value for a reliever who Wade Davis set before 2018, when he signed a $ 52 million three-year contract with the Rocky Mountains. Hendriks’ deal also exceeds MLBTR’s $ 30 million forecast for him before the off-season.
Just a few years ago, it would be almost impossible to imagine Hendriks at this point. Athletics defeated him in July 2018, but he came back full force as a team member in September and took him into the 2019 and 20 campaigns. Hendriks was the majors’ most effective endgame arm during that time, since he pitched for 1.66 ERA with a 33.1% percentage of eliminated strokes, amassed 39 saves in 47 chances and won the American League Passionate Year honors in 2020.
Based on what he’s done in recent seasons, Hendriks, 31, looks like a huge loss for the A’s – who didn’t give the pitcher a qualifying offer after the White Sox eliminated them from the first round of last fall’s playoffs – and a big conquest for Chicago. The White Sox won their first post-season trip since 2008 last season, and they are one of the few baseball teams that have been active since then. Assuming that the agreement with the Hendriks is concluded, he will be the third notable choice of the off-season, joining the starter Lance Lynn and outfielder Adam Eaton.
Also a former twin, Royal and Blue Jay, Hendriks must be in line to take over as a free agent Alex Colome how Chicago is closer. The Australian native will be the most prominent member of a White Sox relief corps that finished seventh in the ERA majors (3.76) last year, when remains Evan Marshall, Aaron Bummer, Matt Foster and Codi Heuer presented fantastic results. With Hendriks’ arrival, the Chicago bullpen could be even better in 2021.
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