The 37‑year‑old reliever surprised fans with a tongue‑in‑cheek Instagram post announcing his retirement. Who could have guessed he’d thank his wife for believing in a terrifying delusion? He also gave a shout‑out to former rival Salvador Perez and his “miracle‑worker” agent, among many others who shaped his journey.
“As for what’s next: My immediate retirement plans include testing whether my elbow can survive holding onto the leash when my dog sees a rabbit, and choosing a new hobby where being single‑handedly responsible for losing a game doesn’t lead to ESPN SportsCenter breaking down my psychological collapse in slow motion for the next 24 hours. Thanks for the ride. It’s been an absolute blast.”
Hendriks earned back‑to‑back AL Reliever of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021, plus down‑ballot Cy Young votes those seasons. One of a handful of Australians in MLB, he joins Dave Nilsson, Grant Balfour and Travis Bazzana as All‑Star selections, and he alone has three midsummer classic nods.
Signed as an international free agent by the Twins in 2007, Hendriks debuted for Minnesota in 2011. Over 188 2/3 innings and 39 games (34 starts) through 2014 he posted a 5.92 ERA for three clubs and bounced around without cracking a major‑league roster again.
A full‑time bullpen role in 2015 revived his career. He logged a 2.92 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 4.2% walk rate in 64 2/3 innings for Toronto, helping the Blue Jays capture the AL East. Yet the Jays dealt him to Oakland for Jesse Chavez, a move that backfired when Chavez struggled and was flipped at the 2016 deadline.
In my view, his three‑year, $54 MM free‑agent contract with the White Sox in January 2021 was a masterstroke. The first two seasons were stellar, earning him two AL All‑Star selections as a dominant closer.
Cancer struck in January 2023 when Hendriks was diagnosed with non‑Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After more than three months of chemotherapy he was declared cancer‑free and returned to the mound in Chicago by late May.
He capped the comeback with AL Comeback Player of the Year honors, but a lingering health issue limited him to five games in 2023. An August Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2024 season as rehab stalled.
After the White Sox declined his 2024 option, Hendriks signed a back‑loaded two‑year, $10 MM guaranteed deal with Boston, plus a 2026 mutual option. He logged 13 2/3 innings at a 6.59 ERA in 2025, his sole Red Sox outings, then posted a brief stint in the Cubs’ farm system after elbow surgery in 2026.
Facing persistent elbow problems, Hendriks announced he’s hanging up his glove. As he wrote on Instagram, “my arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it, and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three‑day recovery window.”
He retires with a 3.88 ERA, 26.7% strikeout rate and 6.0% walk rate over 663 2/3 innings and 490 games for six clubs. His reliever ERA sits at 3.16, though that masks several starts with Oakland. Seven Roberto Clemente Award nominations highlight his off‑field advocacy against cancer and poverty.
MLB Trade Rumors salute Hendriks’ remarkable career and wish him countless healthy dog walks. What new chapter will he write beyond baseball?
In a very amusing and self‑deprecating post on his Instagram page, veteran reliever Liam Hendriks has announced his retirement after 14 big league…