Report: Hendriks joins ChiSox on 3-year deal

Free agent closer Liam Hendriks is in agreement on a three-year deal with the Chicago White Sox according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The White Sox and Liam Hendriks have agreed to a three-year deal with a club option for a fourth, per source; the deal is worth $54M guaranteed.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 12, 2021

The deal is pending a physical and includes a club option for the fourth year. It is worth $54 million in total, Feinsand reports.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports Hendriks' buyout will be worth $15 million, equalling that of his fourth-year salary. So, whether he pitches for the White Sox or gets bought out, he will receive $15 million in 2024.

Here’s how Hendriks deal with White Sox works, per sources: He is guaranteed $54M. Buyout worth same as option. So, he gets $39M for first three years, then an additional $15M over a period of time if White Sox decline option. If White Sox pick up option, it’s four years, $54M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 12, 2021

Multiple reports indicate the Toronto Blue Jays showed interest in Hendriks this off-season. He was seen meeting Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro earlier this month in Dunedin.

Hendriks posted his second lights out season in a row last year, recording an ERA of 1.78 with 14 saves in 24 appearances. It was a similar showing to his numbers from two seasons ago where he posted a 1.80 ERA with a whopping 124 strikeouts in 85.0 innings.

It’s a far cry from the first seven seasons of his career, where he pitched to a 4.72 ERA in 245 appearances.

A native of Perth, Austraila, Hendriks also spent time with the Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins during his big league career.