The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran closer Liam Hendriks. The experienced right hander will report to the Cubs Spring Training facility in Mesa Arizona where he'll go to enable himself to compete. He'll likely go to Iowa to have some live reps before possibly seeing a route back to the big leagues.
Hendriks is no stranger to Chicago, having pitched for the White Sox between 2021 and 2023 where he recorded a staggering 75 saves across 127 appearances. Unfortunately, the closer was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January of 2023 where he subsequently spent the beginning of the season undergoing treatment and recovery. Hendriks then completed chemo in April where he then returned to the White Sox in May.
Cubs offer Liam Hendriks a path back to the majors
Hendriks' 2023 and 2024 season were derailed for good when he was shut down with elbow inflammation, eventually leading to the requirement of Tommy John surgery. Now, Hendriks looks to make a comeback at the age of 37 to see if he has any fuel left in the tank. With the Cubs in desperate need of depth to their pitching staff, there's no reason the team shouldn't take a triple-a shot on him.
When Hendriks was healthy, he was one of baseball's better late-inning relievers. You don't get 75 saves in two years by accident. The Cubs aren't asking Hendriks to even come close to the level he once played at, he would simply be bringing veteran depth to the pitching staff. A stable arm that could ease innings off of the already stressed group.
Hendriks had a stint with the Red Sox in 2025, but he struggled through it. In only 14 appearances, Hendriks managed only an 0-2 record while collecting a brutal 6.59 ERA. Hendriks then went down due to inflammation, where he then underwent further surgery, this time to repair his ulnar nerve. The Red Sox declined his 2026 option, making him a free agent.
Even if the staunch critics of Hendriks have a serious problem with this move, what is there to lose? The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal. To a massive large-market team like the Cubs, that's not exactly betting the house.
Hendriks gets the chance to battle his way back to the mound, and the Cubs get the chance to add a solid experienced reliever to the roster. If Hendriks manages to rediscover even a fraction of the form that once made him one of baseball’s most reliable closers, this suddenly becomes a very interesting depth addition for Chicago. At worst, the Cubs took a no-risk chance on a veteran attempting to finish an incredible comeback story.
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