Twins Sign Hendriks, Merryweather to Minor League Deals

The Minnesota Twins bolstered their bullpen depth on the eve of spring training by signing veteran relievers Liam Hendriks and Julian Merryweather to minor league contracts, each including invitations to big league camp in Fort Myers, Florida.

Hendriks, a 37-year-old right-hander, returns to the organization where he made his major league debut in 2011. Originally signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent out of Australia in 2007, he appeared in 30 games over three seasons, mostly as a starter, compiling a 2-13 record with a 6.06 ERA in 156 innings. After leaving Minnesota, Hendriks bounced between teams including the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals before finding his footing as a reliever with the Blue Jays in 2015. That year, he posted a 2.92 ERA in 58 appearances, prompting a trade to the Oakland Athletics.

In five seasons with Oakland, Hendriks established himself as one of baseball's top closers, achieving a 3.08 ERA and earning his first All-Star selection in 2019 with 25 saves. He signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Chicago White Sox ahead of the 2021 season, where he excelled with a sub-2.75 ERA over 127 games and...