Chicago White Sox decline $15 million club option on closer Liam Hendriks

Updated Nov. 3, 2023 6:49 p.m. ET

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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox declined their $15 million club option on closer Liam Hendriks on Friday.

The White Sox also said right-hander Mike Clevinger had declined his $12 million mutual option. Veteran outfielders Clint Frazier and Trayce Thompson were outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte.

Hendriks is owed a $15 million buyout that will be paid in 10 equal installments from 2024-33. Clevinger receives a $4 million buyout.

Hendriks was voted AL comeback player of the year in the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The 34-year-old right-hander returned in May after beginning the season on the injured list to continue his treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

He could miss the 2024 season after he had surgery in August to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Hendriks last pitched June 9, two days before he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. He went 2-0 with one save and a 5.40 ERA in five appearances.

Hendriks finalized a $54 million, three-year deal with Chicago in free agency in January 2021. He went 8-3 with a 2.54 ERA and a career-high 38 saves in his first year with the White Sox.

The 32-year-old Clevinger made $8 million this season after finalizing a one-year contract last December.

Clevinger went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA and two complete games in 24 starts this year. Chicago finished fourth in the AL Central with a 61-101 record.

Clevinger was investigated by Major League Baseball after he was accused of domestic abuse. It announced in March that he would not face any discipline.

In a statement, the commissioner’s office said its investigation included interviews of more than 15 people, including Clevinger and a woman who said she is the mother of Clevinger’s child, as well as thousands of electronic communications and other documents.

Clevinger voluntarily agreed to submit to evaluations by the joint treatment boards under the CBA and to follow any recommendations, according to the statement.

When he reported to spring training, Clevinger apologized for being a distraction and told reporters he was confident he would be exonerated.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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Liam Hendriks

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