White Sox Decline $15 Million Option on Hendriks, Clevinger Declines $12 Million Option; Both Re-Enter Free Agency

Hendriks and Clevinger to become free agents after strong seasons; White Sox's roster reduced to 36 following option declinations and straight-tos.

The Chicago White Sox declined the $15 million option on Liam Hendriks, leading him to re-enter free agency with a $15 million buyout. Hendriks, a charitable force and source of inspiration to many, had battled Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and returned to pitch for the White Sox in May 2023.
Despite a challenging season due to his health, Hendriks continued to meet with recovering cancer patients or people still battling the illness during every home series and almost every road series he attended, a commitment he vows to maintain.
Right-handed starter Mike Clevinger also declined his portion of the $12 million mutual buyout in his contract with the White Sox, leading to a $4 million buyout. After a strong season on the South Side, Clevinger is set to be a highly sought-after pitcher in this year's free agency.
Clevinger’s tenure with the White Sox came after recovering from a Tommy John surgery in 2021. His best season was in 2019, when he went 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts.
The White Sox have further reduced their 40-man roster to 36, announcing Clint Frazier and Trayce Thompson had been outrighted off the roster to Triple-A Charlotte. Both had seen limited success this season, with Thompson hitting .171 with one homer in 36 games, and Frazier hitting .197 in 33 games.