CHICAGO – Kyle Hendricks “100 percent” intends to play next year, the Chicago Cubs pitcher told The Athletic, confirming he plans to explore his options as a free agent for the first time. Hendricks, the only player remaining from the 2016 World Series team, wants to prolong a career that has already exceeded the wildest expectations.
Hendricks, 34, doesn’t know the level of interest or the opportunities that will be out there this winter. He recognizes that those options will be limited after his brutal start to the season (10.16 ERA through May). He understands that this 10-game closing stretch might be his final days in a Cubs uniform, a possibility that could have been fraught with so many emotions if he wasn’t so stoic.
The entire baseball world saw that focus and composure when Hendricks performed as the Game 7 starter on the night the Cubs ended their 108-year championship drought. He became an exception among that legendary group, signing a contract extension worth $55.5 million guaranteed just before Opening Day 2019.
Hendricks pitched so effectively in 2023 (3.74 ERA in 24 starts) – and responded so well to a program designed to improve his overall strength and athleticism – that there wasn’t a strong argument against the Cubs picking up their $16.5 million club option for this year.
That’s part of the larger story of the 2024 Cubs, a team assembled in such a methodical way that it was easy to see a solid floor but hard to envision a high ceiling. Everything caved in on Hendricks, who went on the injured list with a lower back strain in April and then worked out of the bullpen for almost a month. With the team’s playoff chances almost completely extinguished, he looked back and said: “I feel like I’ve individually lost a lot of games this year.”
The Milwaukee Brewers clinched the division title on Wednesday afternoon when the Cubs absorbed a 5-3 loss to the Oakland A’s. At 77-75, the Cubs’ path toward a wild-card spot is disappearing while the focus is shifting toward the future.
“You got to be real,” Hendricks said. “Let that pass, though, and try to stay positive. Focus on the work, focus on one pitch at a time. Rely on the people around me. Everyone around me has helped me so much and made me better this year. It’s just keeping things simple.”
Hendricks (4-11, 6.25 ERA) made significant in-season adjustments and demonstrated that he can still be an effective No. 5 starter. At a time when the baseball industry views pitching injuries as an epidemic, there’s value in someone who has shown the skills and the durability to throw almost 1,600 major-league innings. He’s also widely regarded as an exemplary teammate and a great resource for young pitchers who want to know how he does it with an 87.7 mph fastball.
Players naturally gravitate toward the Dartmouth-educated pitcher nicknamed “The Professor.” It’s not completely out of the question that the Cubs could find a way to bring back Hendricks for depth, experience and clubhouse presence. Either way, he believes that he still has something to offer.
“Absolutely,” Hendricks said. “I’ll take a step back (once the season ends to) reevaluate and refocus, but I definitely would love to keep pitching.”
Whatever happens next, Hendricks will handle it in the same professional manner that has defined his 11 seasons in Chicago. He’s lined up to face the Washington Nationals on Saturday at Wrigley Field, making it possible that he could start again at the Friendly Confines during the season’s final weekend.
How Hendricks finishes will be important. He’s coming off a road trip where he kept the Los Angeles Dodgers at bay and threw a gem at Coors Field. One postgame answer almost sounded like an acceptance speech at the Oscars with shoutouts for manager Craig Counsell, general manager Carter Hawkins, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos.
“I can’t thank them enough,” Hendricks said. “It’s on my mind every second of the day. They just kept giving me opportunities that I didn’t deserve, to be honest with you, all the way through this year. So thankful and grateful just to keep going.”
(Photo of Hendricks: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)
