Latest Kyle Hendricks' comments hints at emotional farewell for Cubs this offseason

By losing two of three games to the Oakland Athletics to open the week, the Chicago Cubs' postseason hopes are all but over.

Seven games out of the final Wild Card sport is too far of a climb for the Cubs to make when they only have 10 games remaining on the schedule. At the end of those 10 games, the focus will be on the 2025 roster and correcting the mistake that was this season.

There are players who are going to have an expanded role for the Cubs in 2025 but there are also players who after these 10 games, will be done calling Wrigley Field as their home.

The most emotional departure from the Cubs this offseason may be Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks is the last player on the Cubs' roster from the team that won the World Series in 2016 and after the team picked up his $16.5MM club option last season, the veteran starting pitcher will be a free agent this offseason.

While there has been speculation that Hendricks may retire this offseason, the veteran dispelled that idea on Wednesday while speaking with Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (Subscription Required).

“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.”

For as great as Hendricks' career was with the Cubs, the 2024 season was an indicator that Father Time may be calling. Through 27 appearances this season (22 starts), Hendricks has a 6.25 ERA. Hendrick's FIP, 5.17, speaks to his struggles this season. Considering how cautious the Cubs have been with using Hendricks against contending teams, there doesn't seem to be too much logic behind the idea of the team being interested in the starting pitcher returning for next season.

If it's a matter of Hendricks testing the market before taking a discounted deal to return to the Cubs, that is fine. This season for the Cubs has proven that you can never have enough pitching depth. But, Hendricks shouldn't be a priority move for the Cubs this season.