All-Star Hendriks gets 4-year deal with Sox

So many days through the coronavirus pandemic, and seemingly so many more to go.

Major-league baseball has not been exempt from the slog, and while the sport is hoping spring training begins on time next month, that can change at a moment's notice.

MLB hopes fans are allowed back in the stands when the regular season begins, but that's another great unknown to throw on the pile.

The deep financial hit that started last March when COVID-19 shut down training camps in Arizona and Florida and halted everything for four months is still resonating through the game, the overriding reason teams have been so hesitant to spend money this winter.

Well, most teams.

The Padres and Mets have been aggressively adding talent in the National League, and the White Sox have far and away been the most active team in the American League.

"I've got to give Jerry Reinsdorf a lot of credit," general manager Rick Hahn said of the Sox's chairman. "He's given us the flexibility during these extraordinarily uncertain - and obviously difficult for a lot of people - times to have the economic wherewithal to aggressively pursue premium upgrades to a team we feel is pretty good.

"Not everybody gets to be in that situation so we're very appreciative of the fact that this offseason, from the start, we've been able to execute on our plan thanks to Jerry."

After trading for veteran starting pitcher Lance Lynn and adding free-agent right fielder Adam Eaton in December, the White Sox officially signed closer Liam Hendriks to a four-year, $54-million contract on Friday.

The 6-foot, 230-pound Hendriks was 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA, 14 saves and 37 strikeouts over 25⅓ innings with the Athletics last season.

Hendriks also tied for ninth in Cy Young Award voting. Sox starter Dallas Keuchel finished fifth in balloting for the American League's best pitcher, Lynn was sixth and Lucas Giolito was seventh.

"We feel like we've added another premium piece here to our growing core," Hahn said of his new relief pitcher. "We are very excited for what it means for our pitching staff going forward."

A native of Perth, Australia, Hendriks struggled earlier in his career as a starting pitcher and was waived by the Twins in 2013.

The right-hander figured it out in 2019 with Oakland and his 1.79 ERA (minimum 100 innings pitched) over the last two seasons is the lowest in baseball. Hendriks ranks third overall with a 0.90 WHIP over that stretch.

In addition to tinkering with the grip on his four-seam fastball and curve, Hendriks also made a mental adjustment and became a star.

"Codify with Michael Fisher and Get Into The Blue (analytics tools), that has drastically helped my mindset," Hendriks said. "It was one of those thing where I was always putting a ceiling on myself, or if I gave up a hit it was obviously my fault and that's the reason why. Now it's more along the lines of, 'This is where I can get the guy out, if he gets a hit there, it's an anomaly.'

"I don't need to worry about fretting on it or, 'My stuff's not playing the right way.' It's given me more leeway and more chance for error that I can succeed at, and that's just drastically improved my confidence on the mound."

Jovial and relaxed off the mound, Hendriks is a much different animal when the ball is in his hand and the game's on the line.

"I trust everything I throw," he said. "I trust it in the zone, out of the zone, no matter what it is. On the mound, I refer to myself as an egotistical narcissist. It doesn't matter what I'm throwing, whatever I throw I'm better than the hitter."

Sox come to terms with Lopez, Giolito:

•The White Sox agreed to terms on one-year contracts with Giolito ($4.15 million) and pitcher Reynaldo Lopez ($2.1 million) Friday, avoiding arbitration with both players.

•The Sox also agreed to terms with Cuban outfielder Yoelqui Cespedes Friday, including a $2.05 million signing bonus.