I know it hasn’t been a good year overall for Kyle Hendricks, but much of that was wrapped up in some deep early-season struggles that were alleviated by a stint on the IL. Since the start of June, Hendricks has a 4.52 ERA, and much of the bloat there is from three implosion starts. That isn’t to say having starts where you completely wreck that game and the bullpen isn’t a bad thing, but it kind of obscures that 14 or 15 of the 18 outings during that stretch were actually good or fine. In a world where a league-average starting pitcher has a 4.16 ERA, there still seems to be a place for a guy like Hendricks as a fifth starter.
That is all to say, while I’ve been operating under the wistful understanding that Kyle Hendricks may be wrapping up his time with the Cubs, I did not expect that he would necessarily retire after this season.
So this is not a surprise to me:
As , Hendricks is realistic about what opportunities may or may not be out there for him in free agency aās a soon-to-be 35-year-old, low-velocity pitcher coming off a rough season. But if he can keep going, he wants to.
Would the Cubs give him another year? Well, I think it’s certainly possible they would bring him back on a non-guaranteed (i.e., minor league) deal with a Spring Training invite. There’s no real risk there, and you get the benefit of Hendricks’ wisdom and leadership in the spring, plus the possibility that he could be insurance if there were a rash of injuries and/or if he looked really good in March. I don’t see any downside whatsoever in bringing Hendricks back under those circumstances, if that’s what he finds out there for himself.
If, however, he can find a guaranteed deal? And a planned rotation spot? I say God bless, go do your thing, Kyle. I think it’s nice to dream on a career Cub like Hendricks, but I do not believe it is in the Cubs’ best interest heading into 2025 to have Hendricks locked into a starting rotation job. So if he can find that somewhere else, I believe it would be a mistake for the Cubs to match it. Hard to say out loud given the fondness there, but it’s just the reality of the Cubs’ situation. They have quality starters, they have depth, they have prospects, and they have money available to add an impact starter if they want.
We’ll see how it plays out this offseason, and I will follow along with plenty of well-wishes either way. And whenever he’s ready to hang them up, if Hendricks wants to move into a coaching or front office or development career, the Cubs better make that happen.
In the meantime, I’ll enjoy what could be the final two starts for Hendricks in a Cubs uniform. He is scheduled for Saturday at Wrigley Field against the Nationals, and then he would be lined up to take the final Friday 1:20pm start of the season at Wrigley next week against the Reds. Wouldn’t that be quite a finish? His send-off would be raucous.
