Cubs turn to former White Sox All-Star closer in endless search for pitching depth

The Chicago Cubs are turning over every stone as they look for depth to stabilize a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries. Those efforts have led the Cubs down a familiar path. The Cubs have signed former Chicago White Sox All-Star closer Liam Hendriks to a minor-league deal.

From 2019 to 2022, Hendriks was one of the best closers in baseball. He earned American League All-Star selections in each of those seasons, and even garnered Cy Young attention during his run with the White Sox.

Hendriks' final season with the White Sox in 2023 started with a recovery from a cancer diagnosis during the offseason. He made his return for the White Sox at the end of May in that season, but his season ended prematurely due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.

As Hendriks recovered from surgery, there was speculation that the Cubs could sign him with the hope that he could eventually become a solution in the bullpen. Instead, he signed a two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 season, making his return to the majors in 2025. It was short-lived, considering he made 14 appearances with Boston before his season was cut short with hip and elbow surgery.

Years later, Cubs finally land Liam Hendriks

To be clear, even when Hendriks was healthy with the Red Sox, it was a far cry from the All-Star he once was. He posted an ERA of 6.59 while walking nearly 12% of the hitters he faced. There shouldn't be an expectation that Hendriks will make his debut with the Cubs and immediately become a high-leverage option for Craig Counsell in the bullpen.

Hendriks spent spring training with the Minnesota Twins, so he may not need as extended a ramp-up as one would normally expect for a pitcher who has yet to pitch this season. After the recent setback for Hunter Harvey, the best-case scenario is for Hendriks to simply become an effective option for the Cubs out of the bullpen at some point this season.

At this rate, if Hendriks is healthy, that's already an upgrade over the pitching depth the Cubs currently have.

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