Mets have interest in Liam Hendriks

The Mets have interest in right-handed relief pitcher Liam Hendriks, according to Andy Martino of SNY. The 32-year-old had a 1.78 ERA and 1.14 FIP in 25.1 innings out of the Athletics’ bullpen this year.

Hendriks began his major league career as a starting pitcher with the Twins in 2011, but over parts of three seasons there—during which he made 28 starts and two relief appearances—he struggled. Minnesota lost him to the Cubs on waivers following the 2013 season, and he was claimed twice more during the offseason, first by the Orioles and then by the Blue Jays.

Having made just three starts for Toronto in 2014, he was traded to the Royals, where he made three starts and three relief appearances. And the Royals traded him back to the Blue Jays following that season. Toronto made Hendriks a full-time relief pitcher for the 2015 season, and he had a good year, finishing with a 2.92 ERA in 64.2 innings of work. And then the Blue Jays traded him away again, this time to the A’s, following that season.

In his first three years with Oakland, Hendriks was solid, but he really broke out in 2019, as he had a 1.80 ERA and 1.87 FIP over the course of 85.0 innings—a season worth 3.5 bWAR and 3.9 fWAR, both of which are incredibly high marks for a reliever. Free agency projections at FanGraphs estimate he’ll get a contract for three years in the $10 to $12 million range per year.