Cubs ‘Have to Be Prepared’ for End to $16 Million Veteran’s Career: Report

Getty Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks has had a rough start to the 2024 season

After a concerning start to the season, the Chicago Cubs might not be able to count on Kyle Hendricks to maintain the form that once earned him Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award and MVP award votes.

“It can’t be denied that the results for Hendricks have been disastrous,” Sahadev Sharma wrote for The Athletic, following three starts from Hendricks that saw him give up a total of 17 earned runs in just 12.2 innings. “The Cubs have to be prepared that this may be the end for Hendricks.”

Beyond his 12.08 ERA, Sharma honed in on Hendricks’ 12.1 percent strikeout rate, a figure that puts him in the bottom 7 percent of MLB and marks the worst rate of his 11-season career.

“Are hitters seeing his pitches better?” Sharma asked. “Is he not sequencing well enough to keep them guessing and off balance?”

After signing Hendricks to a four-year, $55.5 million deal in 2019, the Cubs exercised their $16.5 million option on Hendricks for the 2024 season.

The Chicago Cubs Are Facing a Rotation Dilemma As Kyle Hendricks Struggles

At 34 years old, if Hendricks is unable to induce swings and misses, there could be little hope for him to retain a spot in the rotation in the long term. But the rotation situation in Chicago would also make it hard to go without him for the foreseeable future.

Cubs starters Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon are both on the injured list, leaving few options to work around Hendricks’ struggles. Sharma argued that Cubs manager Craig Counsell might be able to find a new role for the pitcher that gives him a better chance for success while still taking on some innings for the depleted staff, but even those changes are difficult without anyone available to take on some of his workload.

“How he’s used, how many times he faces a lineup and finding ways to line him up against favorable matchups will be key,” Sharma wrote. “That all can’t begin, though, until the Cubs rotation is fully healthy.”

And a relegation out of the starting staff also seems unlikely anytime soon. Not only are the Cubs in dire need of starting arms, but Hendricks doesn’t really profile as a reliever with average exit velocity well below 90 miles per hour.

“Counsell is still very much piecing together the bullpen approach and until he gets some reinforcements in the rotation that might allow someone like Ben Brown to slide into a relief role, Hendricks isn’t going anywhere,” Jake Misener noted for Cubbies Crib. “It’s also worth being clear about Hendricks’ abilities: he doesn’t have the stuff to be an effective reliever, so you can drop that idea right now.”

The Chicago Cubs Might Have to Look Outside of the Roster for Pitching Depth

If Counsell is unable to find an effective role for Hendricks, the Cubs may have little choice but to pursue a free agent or trade acquisition to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

The team recently signed two-time All-Star Julio Teheran to a minor league deal, signaling interest in veteran additions. And Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report suggested they may be a trade destination for Miami Marlins southpaw Jesús Luzardo.

“Luzardo’s stuff grades well relative to other left-handers, and he’s at a point in his career where there’s little reason to think that will change any time soon,” Rymer noted. “And with free agency not due to call his name until after 2026, any team that trades for him would have a new ace for the foreseeable future.”