Three reasons I like the Chicago Cubs and the one reason I don’t

Cubs and Hendricks are a match made in heaven

There’s no denying that Kyle Hendricks is a great pitcher. Even on the brink of tearing it all down, I don’t believe the Cubs will line up a trade for him, either. Heavens no. He’s a ‘soft-tosser’ who rarely reaches 90 MPH. Still, he forces balls to be hit on the ground for outs. Since 2016, he’s averaged a 3.00 ERA, with a 2.13 ERA in ’16. And he’s had a WHIP of 1.094. Not too shabby.

He’s a good player and signed through 2023, with a vesting option for 2024. We need to hold on to him. He doesn’t throw hard anyway. What is he going to lose? He’s Greg Maddux-reincarnated. Seriously, if you ever watch Hendricks on a day where he’s locked in, the similarities are uncanny.

In 2020, he had his second-best WHIP (0.996), trailing only his career season back in 2016 – and that’s saying something. With the departure of Yu Darvish, Hendricks is now the guy on the North Side – and it needs to stay that way. He does all the little things and always steps up when called upon, much like Anthony Rizzo.

Hopefully, Hendricks is a part of the next great Cubs team. But, with the team looking to rebuild, you can’t ever say ‘never’ – that’s for sure.