Did Kyle Hendricks pitch his last game in Chicago? |
During the 2016 World Series, the Cubs had their backs against the wall when they fell behind three games to 1 thanks to a 7-2 win from the then Indians in game 4. The only way for the Cubs to break their 108-year championship drought was to rattle off three wins in a row against the American League’s best team. It was lined up the way they wanted it on the mound:
Jon Lester,
Jake Arrieta, and
Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs won game five by one run and blew out the Guardians in game 6 — setting up an epic game 7 with Hendricks pitching.
And as Hendricks has done his entire Cubs career, he calmly delivered a strong outing with his pinpoint command on display, and the Cubs won the game and the championship. That, of course, came on the heels of Hendricks’ last two playoff starts where he did not allow a run, capping off his excellent 2016 campaign, which included an ERA title in the National League and a top-3 Cy Young Award finish. Fast forward to 2023, Hendricks has rebounded after a few years battling injuries, and his Cubs career could very well be coming to an end. The Cubs are still in the midst of their rebuild and have been one of the league’s most streaky teams. From winning 11 out of 13 to losing six of seven, the Cubs' inconsistent play on the field has forced the organization to jockey back and forth between buying at the trade deadline and selling for the third consecutive season. The fans' perspective has bounced back and forth because you don't want to lose players for nothing — but you also do not want to abandon the team’s chance to make a run or a playoff push. The Cubs have won four in a row to lean the scale toward buying as they approach the .500 mark — but the fact of the matter is this team may not be able to catch the Brewers or Reds at the top of what is a reasonably weak NL Central: which has led to speculation of Hendricks and Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger and Yan Gomes being on the market as the Cubs invest in their future. Hendricks is the longest-tenured Cubs player and the only player left on the roster from the 2016 World Series. But since he has returned to form and has a 3.45 ERA — he could be an attractive candidate to join a true contender for their stretch run while the Cubs load up for a run next year and beyond. While he won’t be looking for a bank-breaking contract in free agency, paying pitchers who are 33 years old or older is always a considerable risk. Massive contracts like Stephen Strasburg and Chris Sale stick out on this thought. So Hendricks’ resurgence may be the best he’ll be from here on out — so why not maximize on a potential return you can get for him? There’s not a contending team that wouldn’t want to have a levelheaded playoff performer like Hendricks join their team for the stretch run. Not to mention, Hendricks has a great relationship with the front office, so the Cubs may be able to resign him in the off-season for a reasonable 2-3 years, regardless of whether he stays through the end of the season. The next few days will play a significant factor in this decision from the front office, and it would be tough to say goodbye to another member of the 2016 team, but Hendricks may have pitched his last game in Chicago.
