Kyle Hendricks Is on the Trade Block?

See, here’s the thing, I put the question mark because of course it makes sense that an aging pitcher who is a year away from potentially being a free agent would be on the trade block. But also, who the hell is trading for Kyle Hendricks right now?

I love Kyle Hendricks. One of the few guys I’ve been so right about since he first came up with the Cubs and then established himself as one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball. Don’t forget people, in 2016, Hendricks was MLB’s ERA leader, posting a 2.13 ERA that season. Pitched the NLCS clincher against the Dodgers and started Game 7 of the World Series against Cleveland and probably deserved a longer leash from Joe Maddon, but hey they won, so it’s cool.

But man, injuries suck. Hendricks missed the majority of the 2022 season, making only 16 starts and getting fully shutdown in early July because of shoulder issues. His results were already beginning to decline in 2021, although he was able to salvage that season with a strong stretch in the middle of the year. But the signs of regression were starting to pop up for Hendricks and his shoulder problems this past year only made things worse.

The Cubs are hopeful that Hendricks will be ready for the 2023 season, but at this point that’s not really a guarantee. Hendricks has been throwing in Arizona at the Cubs spring training facilities, but we don’t know if he will come back healthy and even if he does how good will he be.

So, that brings us to this quick blurb from Jon Heyman in the New York Post from Thursday night.

Heyman brings up White Sox closer Liam Hendriks being available via trade, which yeah that’s been out there, but he also brought up Hendricks being available.

Coincidental that Hendricks (Kyle) and Hendriks (Liam) are available Chicagoans. …

Again, what team would risk trading for Hendricks, even if the Cubs decide to eat a big chunk of his salary, right now if they don’t even know if he’ll be healthy in 2023? It just makes no sense for anyone involved to do a deal this offseason.

However, Hendricks coming up in trade rumors from Heyman did get me thinking about the future. I am getting mentally prepared that there is a high chance that Hendricks doesn’t make it past the summer still with the Cubs. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing either.

The Cubs could find themselves in a good spot come July, with a few guys in the minors knocking on the door to break through in the majors. The team could be in a spot, where they can sell and buy at the trade deadline, possibly jumping on a Hendricks’ resurgence to add something else, and then bringing up a prospect or two to join the pitching staff.

Even if things go poorly for the Cubs and Hendricks is healthy, a trade could happen, where Hendricks goes to a contender in the summer and the team is able to get something decent in return. Right now, though? Nope.

Hendricks, 33, is owed $14 million in 2023, and has a $16 million club option for 2024.