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The Chicago Cubs are looking to extend a veteran pitcher

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Andrew Prouse | Last updated 10/21/23

Report: The Cubs are looking to extend Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks has a one-year team option left on his contract. Should the Cubs pick up the team option, Hendricks would be paid $16.5 million.

MLB analyst Bruce Levine suggests the Cubs are looking to extend the pitcher based on new insider information.

Levine reported the information on Saturday on 670TheScore.

The extension will likely come after the World Series concludes. And it will reportedly be at least a two-year extension.

“According to league sources, the Cubs are working on an extension,” Levine told cohost Mike Esposito. “Not only just picking up the $16 million option on Hendricks’ contract, but working on an extension. That makes sense. He pitched so well when he came back, he’s a constant for them, he’s one guy that can pitch under 90 miles an hour and consistently throw five, six innings.”

Hendricks can provide consistency to the pitching rotation

Kyle Hendricks returned from a capsular tear in his shoulder and bounced back in 2023.

In 24 starts, Hendricks threw 137.0 innings of solid 3.74 ERA ball, with his ERA and FIP landing in the 12 to 14% better-than-league-average range, his groundball rate returning to above league-average. This was a slight return to form for Hendricks that Cubs fans knew for many years.

A major concern after the shoulder injury was a major drop in velocity which did not happen. In ’23 Hendricks’ average fastball velocity was the highest it had been in 7 years.

Will Hendricks ever return to 2016 levels again? Not likely, but if he can pitch like he did in 2023 going forward as a back-half-of-the-rotation pitcher, that’s a win-win. There should be no pressure on him to be an Opening Day starter or top-of-the-rotation pitcher anymore.

Hendricks can still be a veteran who can be relied on to take care of a few innings and keep games winnable for the Cubs.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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