FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In a move that brings desperately needed late-inning bullpen experience, the Twins signed veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks to a Minor League deal with a non-roster invitation to Spring Training on Thursday. They also added Julian Merryweather as an NRI, and later in the day traded for Dodgers lefty Anthony Banda.
Hendriks, who turned 37 on Tuesday, not long ago had a case for being called the best closer in Major League Baseball, leading all relievers with a collective 9.5 fWAR from 2019-22, a 3.5-fWAR lead on the next most valuable reliever (Ryan Pressly, 6.0 fWAR). In that four-season period spent with the A's and White Sox, he made all three American League All-Star teams pitching to a 2.26 ERA (188 ERA+) while averaging an astronomical 13.5 K/9 and 7.64 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Hendriks joins a bullpen without an obvious closer and with very little right-handed experience. Cole Sands and Justin Topa entered camp as the favorites to pitch at the ends of games for the Twins, who traded away five relievers at last year’s Trade Deadline.
Hendriks has dealt with extensive health issues, but manager Derek Shelton said the club’s reports on him were good.
“Everything’s been positive,” Shelton said. “He’s healthy and he’s in a situation where he’s coming into camp to compete. I’m excited. When you’re able to add a guy of his pedigree and he’s pitched at the back half of the game, I’m excited to get him in camp and get a look at him.”
Hendriks has a history with the Twins: He was signed by Minnesota as a non-drafted free agent in 2007, made his big league debut on Sept. 6, 2011, and appeared in 30 games for the club from 2011-13.
Since 2022, Hendriks has been navigating seemingly never-ending adversity, beginning with receiving a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma that offseason, delaying his 2023 debut until May 29. He was only able to make five appearances that year before suffering an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. A free agent at the end of the 2023 season, he was cut loose by the White Sox and signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Red Sox.
After dedicating all of 2024 to rehab, Hendriks made his long-awaited Red Sox debut on April 20, 2025. Once again, his comeback was short-lived -- after just 14 appearances out of Boston's bullpen, he was placed on the 15-day IL with right hip inflammation.
That injury would prove to be effectively season-ending; Hendriks was transferred to the 60-day IL on July 8 after suffering a setback and was forced to pause his rehab process again in mid-September due to right forearm tightness, a particular concern given his recent Tommy John surgery. He ultimately underwent a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition procedure, not uncommon for players who have undergone Tommy John, later that month.
“[He’s a] veteran guy that people speak so highly of in the game in terms of who he is as a human being,” Shelton said. “Obviously he’s had some challenges in his life over the last couple years. Just talking about the person, [we're] excited to add him into that group.”