As the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season barrels toward its thrilling conclusion, the Boston Red Sox are locked in a fierce battle for a playoff spot. The focus, rightfully, remains on the diamond—where every pitch, hit, and catch could determine their postseason fate. Yet, in the ever-churning world of professional sports, whispers about the future are already creeping into the conversation. Speculation about next year’s roster is heating up, and one name stands out in the rumor mill: former All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks.
With just weeks left in the regular season, FanSided’s Katie Manganelli dropped a bold prediction, suggesting that Hendriks, alongside two others, may not don the Red Sox uniform in 2026. The reasoning? A combination of injury woes, underwhelming performance, and a fractured relationship with the team’s front office.
In February 2024, the Red Sox inked Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million contract, banking on his proven track record as one of baseball’s elite relievers. The deal included a mutual $12 million option for 2026, a tantalizing prospect for a pitcher who, from 2019 to 2022, dazzled with a 2.26 ERA across 226 appearances, earned three All-Star selections, and claimed two Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Awards. However, the signing came with a catch: Hendriks was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Boston hoped he’d return to the mound late in 2024.
Those hopes were dashed. Setbacks kept Hendriks sidelined for the entire 2024 season, and 2025 didn’t start much better. Elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list to open the year, and after a brief return, a hip issue cut his season short. In total, Hendriks managed just 14 appearances and 13.2 innings pitched in 2025—a far cry from the dominant force the Red Sox envisioned.
When Hendriks did take the mound, the results were less than stellar. In his limited action, he surrendered 10 earned runs on 12 hits, with 12 strikeouts and seven walks. While the small sample size warrants caution, the numbers didn’t inspire confidence. More troubling, however, was the growing rift between Hendriks and the Red Sox organization.
In early August, manager Alex Cora announced that Hendriks was unlikely to pitch again in 2025 due to his lingering injuries. Hendriks, however, pushed back publicly, expressing frustration with the team’s communication—or lack thereof. “I disagreed with how it was handled,” Hendriks told reporters, highlighting a disconnect with the front office. For a franchise no stranger to player-management tension, this was a familiar and unwelcome refrain.
With Hendriks’ contract set to expire at season’s end, the mutual $12 million option for 2026 looms large. On paper, the decision seems straightforward: why commit to a pitcher who’s barely played and clashed with the organization? Yet, the case isn’t entirely black-and-white. When healthy, Hendriks remains a proven closer with a fiery competitive streak and a resume that speaks for itself. His 2019–2022 run was nothing short of elite, and at 36 years old, he could still have gas left in the tank.
Still, the Red Sox face a tough call. The $12 million option is a significant investment for a player who’s been plagued by injuries and hasn’t delivered in Boston. Manganelli argues that neither side seems eager for a reunion, noting that Hendriks’ tenure with the Red Sox “wasn’t as successful or memorable as he, the team, or fans hoped.” The combination of his health struggles, subpar performance, and public disagreement with the front office makes a parting of ways increasingly likely.
As Boston fights for a playoff berth, the focus remains on the present. But the offseason will bring tough decisions, and Hendriks’ future is among them. While his pedigree as a two-time Reliever of the Year and three-time All-Star is undeniable, his injury-riddled stint in Boston and strained relationship with the team may close the door on a return. The Red Sox, aiming to build a competitive roster for 2026, may opt to redirect their resources elsewhere, seeking bullpen arms with greater reliability and fewer question marks.
For Hendriks, a fresh start could be a chance to reclaim his status as one of baseball’s premier closers. If he can regain his health, another team may take a chance on his undeniable talent. For now, though, the Red Sox seem poised to move on, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.