White Sox reportedly sign closer Liam Hendriks

Liam Hendriks helped Oakland beat the White Sox in the opening round of the playoffs last season.

Now, the coveted closer is joining the Sox.

According to multiple reports Monday night, the White Sox and Hendriks agreed on a three-year, $39 million contract with a mutual option for a fourth year that makes the deal worth $54 million.

A 31-year-old righty, Hendriks finished second in the major leagues with 14 saves last season while going 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA and striking out 37 in 25 innings.

In 2019, Hendriks was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA for the A’s to go with 25 saves and 124 strikeouts in 85 innings.

He replaces Alex Colome as the Sox’s closer.

In the playoffs, Hendriks was a big reason Oakland won the best-of-three series over the White Sox after dropping the opener.

In Game 2, the Perth, Australia, native threw a career-high 49 pitches while giving up 2 runs on 4 hits over 1 innings. The A’s beat the White Sox 5-3.

In Game 3, Hendriks came back the next day and pitched the ninth inning. He struck out the side and the Sox were eliminated.

After the game, Hendriks praised the team he helped beat.

“Hats off to the White Sox,” he said. “They’re a fantastic team. They’ve got a great lineup and they’re going to be a powerhouse in the AL Central for several years just based on these young guys they’ve got in their lineup and the rotation behind (Lucas) Giolito and (Dallas) Keuchel. It’s going to be really fun to watch those guys play for a long time.”

Since losing to the A’s, the Sox traded for starter Lance Lynn, signed right fielder Adam Eaton and also hired Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa.