Free agent right-hander Kyle Hendricks and the Angels are near an settlement on a one-year deal, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Rating on X. The monetary parts of the settlement for the Wasserman consumer aren’t publicly identified at the moment.
Hendricks, 35 in December, can be suiting up for a staff aside from the Cubs for the primary time if the deal will get finalized. Although he was drafted by the Rangers in 2011, he was traded to the Cubs previous to his main league debut, as a part of the July 2012 commerce that despatched Ryan Dempster to Texas.
He was capable of get to the massive leagues by 2014 and shortly established himself as a stable rotation piece. He didn’t have overpowering stuff however confirmed a knack for limiting injury. He made 13 begins and logged 81 1/3 innings in his debut, permitting simply 2.46 earned runs per 9 innings regardless of a low strikeout charge of 14.6%.
From there, he discovered a number of extra punchouts however his success was usually constructed round weak contact. From 2014 to 2020, he tossed over a thousand innings for the Cubs with a 3.12 ERA, 20.8% strikeout charge, 5.3% stroll charge and 47.5% floor ball charge. He was a pillar of the Cubs in that point, serving to them develop into a perennial contender and break their World Sequence curse in 2016.
The previous couple of years have been a bit extra rocky, nevertheless. In 2021, his strikeout charge dipped to 16.7% and his ERA climbed to 4.77. In 2022, a capsular tear in his proper shoulder restricted him to 16 begins with a 4.80 ERA. He didn’t require surgical procedure however was out of motion till Might of 2023.
He managed one thing of a rebound when he obtained again on the hill. Final 12 months, he posted a 3.74 ERA over 24 begins after recovering from that shoulder damage. His 16.1% strikeout charge was nonetheless low however he solely walked 4.7% of batters confronted and prevented batters from producing huge exit velocity.
The Cubs had been inspired sufficient to set off a $16.5MM membership choice to carry him again for 2024, a part of the extension the 2 sides agreed to forward of the 2019 season. However that’s a transfer they possible remorse, as Hendricks couldn’t hold his bounceback getting in 2024. He struggled out of the gate and obtained bumped to the bullpen. Although he finally retook a rotation function, he completed the 12 months with a 5.92 ERA.
There is perhaps a little bit of dangerous luck in there, as Hendricks was solely capable of strand 64.2% of baserunners this 12 months, effectively under the 72.1% league common. His 4.98 FIP and 4.83 SIERA on the season recommend he deserved higher than his ERA would recommend, however nonetheless aren’t excellent numbers.
Placing these current ups and downs collectively, Hendricks has a 4.80 ERA because the begin of 2021. His 43.3% floor ball charge in that point is round league common and his 6% stroll charge fairly robust, however his 16.5% strikeout charge effectively under par.
Extra to return.
