Feb. 20, 10:37am: Hendriks will earn $2MM in 2024 and $6MM in 2025, . Theres also a $2MM buyout on the 2026 option, which is valued at $12MM. The $10MM worth of incentives in the deal are all tied to Hendriks 2025 performance, Cotillo . Half of that incentives package is tied to games finished, and the other half is tied to Hendriks total innings pitched. There are no incentives tied to the 2024 season. 10:25am:: The Red Sox have formally announced the signing of Hendriks to a two-year contract with a mutual option for a third season. of righty to the Royals opened a 40-man spot in Boston, so a corresponding move for Hendriks isnt nece sary. Feb. 19: The Red Sox are reportedly in agreement with right-hander on a two-year deal that will guarantee him $10MM, though he can earn as much as $20MM via incentives. Theres also a 2026 mutual option for the ALIGND Sports Agency client. The deal is pending a physical. Hendriks, 35, was the ALs Comeback Player of the Year award winner in 2023 after he managed to return to the mound five months after he for non-Hodgkins lymphoma in early January before that he was cancer-free in April. Unfortunately, Hendriks amazing comeback was cut short after just five appearances due to a bout of elbow inflammation, which ended up leading to the veteran Tommy John surgery back in August. Hendriks lengthy impending rehab led the White Sox to decline their club option on his services for the 2024 season, allowing him to hit the open market back in November. While 2023 was something of a lost season for Hendriks, hes long been one of the most dominant relievers in the sport. The right-hander debuted as a starting pitcher with the Twins back in 2011, though he struggled in the role for Minnesota, Kansas City, and Toronto with a 5.92 ERA in 39 appearances acro s four seasons before the Blue Jays decided to move him to the bullpen full time in 2015. The role change did wonders for Hendriks performance, as he pitched to a strong 2.92 ERA with an even better 2.14 FIP acro s 64 2/3 innings of work for the club that year. That season, Hendriks struck out a solid 27.2% of batters faced while allowing free pa ses at a minimal 4.2% clip. The Blue Jays didnt retain Hendriks after his breakout campaign, instead dealing him to the Oakland As prior to the 2016 season. During his first few years in Oakland, Hendriks came back down to earth a bit, pitching to relatively middling results out of the clubs bullpen with a 4.01 ERA and a 3.24 FIP acro s 152 2/3 innings of work from 2016 to 2018. Hendriks returned to form in 2019, however. When then-As closer struggled to a 4.91 ERA during the 2019 season, Hendriks took over the closers role and did not look back with an incredible 1.80 ERA with a 1.78 FIP in 85 innings of work. The righty continued that strong performance in 2020, his final year of club control. He headed Thaddeus Ward Jersey into the open market after racking up 14 more saves in the shortened season, posting a 1.78 ERA thanks to a huge 40.2% strikeout rate and tiny 3.3% walk rate. He landed a three-year, $54MM with the White Sox with a complicated club option for 2024. The salary and buyout on that option were both $15MM, though the buyout would spread the payouts over a 10-year period. He continued to serve as a lockdown closer for the first two years of that deal before, as mentioned, going through various challenges in the third. With Hendriks looking at mi sing at least the first few months of 2024, the White Sox went for the $15MM opt-out instead of the $15MM salary. Despite those matching figures, they will save money in long run by holding that money, collecting interest on it and paying it out later when inflation has reduced its value. Hendriks went into the open market unable to market himself for much of the 2024 season. He is a trade deadline return from last years surgery, though that would be on the ambitious end of typical Tommy John recovery timelines since he just went under the knife a year ago. It would obviously be great news if Hendriks is back on the mound in August or September but the signing for the Red Sox is more about 2025. The club has and as their top relievers this year but both are impending free agents and each have been in trade rumors this offseason. The club seems to have little hesitation about subtracting from this years relief corps, as they recently traded and flipped earlier in the winter as part of the deal. Overall, the clubs offseason has been more focused on the future than the present. The move for ONeill and the signing of were nice adds for this year, but theyve also been seemingly trying to keep payroll fairly low and have sent out players with minimal club control like and . While theyre not exactly tearing things down to the studs as part of a deep rebuild, they do seem to be aware that they need to think about the long term after a couple of last place finishes in the A.L. East in past two seasons. Signing Hendriks fits into that, as he will upgrade next years roster more than this ones. Theres also some financial wiggle room due to their relatively modest winter. pegs their current payroll at $181MM, even after the Hendriks signing. Per , they were twice were over $230MM a few years back and at $207MM two years ago. RR also has their competitive balance tax now at $202MM, nowhere near the $237MM base threshold of the tax. If the Sox find themselves in contention later this year, perhaps Hendriks can come back from his rehab and join their bullpen for the stretch run. But for next year, he potentially gives the club an elite closer at a relative modest salary, providing an early solution to the departures of Jansen and Martin. first reported the sides were nearing an agreement and that Hendriks was present at the clubs Spring Training facility in Florida. first had the two years and $10MM guarantee. relayed the 2026 mutual option. reported the potential to get to $20MM via incentives. Dj Herz Jersey