Los Angeles Angels Seeking Veteran Leadership From Former Chicago Cubs Pitcher

The Los Angeles Angels reportedly signed a former Chicago Cubs lifer to provide veteran leadership.

Sep 28, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) reacts to fans after the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

In the 2008 MLB draft, Kyle Hendricks was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 39th round out of high school, but did not sign with the organization. Three years later, he was selected in the eighth round by the Texas Rangers, an organization that he would spend one year with before being traded to the franchise he would call home for 11 seasons, the Chicago Cubs.

Hendricks served as a reliable starter for the Cubs since debuting for the club on July 10th, 2014, pitching to a 3.68 ERA across 1,580 1/3 innings with 1,259 strikeouts and a 113 ERA+ in 276 games (270 starts) from 2014 through 2024. The best year of his career came in 2016, when the veteran pitched to a 2.13 ERA, the best in MLB, across 190 innings with 170 strikeouts and a 196 ERA+, also the best in MLB, in 31 games (30 starts), though he would finish only third in National League Cy Young voting.

Hendricks entered free agency for the first time in his career this offseason, and seven days later the first team to draft him, the Angels, would sign the veteran to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.

A recent report from Buster Olney of ESPN indicates that the signing of Hendricks, along with their follow-up signing of catcher Travis d'Arnaud, was part of a plan to surround their young roster with veteran leadership.

Part of the focus of the Angels this offseason is to surround their young players with veteran leaders who can help foster growth. Kyle Hendricks last week, and Travis d'Arnaud this week.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 13, 2024

Both Hendricks and d'Arnaud are highly respected veterans across the league and can help the young core of the team develop into formidable Major Leaguers.

Hendricks, who will be 35 on December 7th, is coming off of the worst season of his career to this point. Chicago toyed with the idea of having the veteran come out of the pen for a time, before ultimately putting him back in the rotation. Hendricks would finish the year with a 5.92 ERA across 130 2/3 innings with 87 strikeouts and a 67 ERA+ in 29 games (24 starts).

Interestingly enough, the veteran performed much better in the relief role. When coming out of the pen, Hendricks's ERA was a nice 3.14 across 14 1/3 innings, while he carried a 6.27 ERA across 116 1/3 innings when starting.

While Hendricks was much better as a reliever in 2024, Los Angeles will more than likely utilize his talents as a starter that can eat innings. As it stands, the club does not have many viable options to get them through a 162-game season, and Hendricks has proven to be a reliable option that can suit up every fifth day.