Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Red Sox Expected To Decline $12M Option But That Shouldn't Be End

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 11:09 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox's bullpen was a weapon in 2025, but it could've been even better.

Boston signed three-time All-Star and two-time Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner Liam Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million deal before the 2024 season knowing that he would at least miss a significant chunk of the campaign. He worked hard to put himself in a position to return and made six minor league appearances in 2024, but the Red Sox were out of the playoff race and didn't rush him to the majors.

In Spring Training, Hendriks entered ready to duke it out with Aroldis Chapman for the closer job. Chapman earned the job as Hendriks dealt with injuries. Hendriks did return to the mound, though, and made his team debut on April 20th. Unfortunately, he was only able to make 14 appearances, though. Now, he has a $12 million mutual option for the 2026 season, but MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo shared that the current expectation is that it will be declined.

"One is a formality, as Liam Hendriks’ $12 million mutual option for 2026 will be declined by the club and the Sox will have to pay him a $2 million buyout. He’ll hit free agency," Cotillo said.

Boston should try to bring back Liam Hendriks

This makes sense. Hendriks only was able to make the 14 appearances and pitched to a 6.59 ERA out of the Boston bullpen. Despite losing Hendriks, the Red Sox actually had the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball at 3.41. The Red Sox were only behind the San Diego Padres, who had a 3.06 ERA.

It makes sense to decline the $12 million mutual option because it's bigger than the initial deal he signed with Boston -- $10 million across two years -- and wasn't healthy in 2025. If he had been able to return to form, it would've looked like a steal. There was a stretch from 2019 through 2022 when Hendriks arguably was the best reliever in baseball. He had a 2.26 ERA and 114 saves across 226 outings.

Turning down the mutual option is the right move, but if there's another short-term deal with prove-it money attached, it still makes sense to try to bring him back despite the tough 2025 season. You can never have too many capable, veteran relievers. He's someone with upside, despite being 36 years old. On top of this, he's a good guy. Hendriks was the Red Sox's Roberto Clemente Award nominee this year. For a team as young as Boston, keeping a guy like Hendriks around as a locker room presence also doesn't hurt.

To sum up, turning down the mutual option is the right move because of the cost. But, the team should attempt to bring him back on a short-term deal at a lower value as well.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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