The Cubs Are Selling; Cleveland Should Go After Kyle Hendricks

I’m about to say something crazy, maybe something even a little dangerous, but here goes.

The Cleveland Indians, regardless of what happens to their playoff hopes this season, should try to trade for Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks.

This is, understandably, a sore subject for Cleveland fans, as Hendricks was a key contributor in Chicago’s 2016 World Series championship, giving up one run in nine innings of work against the Indians. Starting games three and seven, he was one of the biggest reasons for the Cubs’ victory.

But hear me out.

While the Indians’ recent nine-game skid has people wondering if the team might actually be a seller, a trade for Hendricks does keep Cleveland focused on its future while still leaving the door open in 2021.

Hendricks, 31, is signed through 2023 at $14 million a year. Because he did not finish in the top three of the NL Cy Young voting in 2020, the Cubs have a team option for 2024 at $16 million with a $1.5 million buyout.

Pricey for at least two years of service, but that doesn’t even put Hendricks in the top twenty highest-paid pitchers in the Majors.

And there is no such thing as too much pitching, as this season has so painfully demonstrated to the Indians. Even with Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, and Aaron Civale healthy, Hendricks would instantly become the veteran presence the rotation so desperately needs.

And when it comes to dependability, Hendricks has been a model of it throughout his eight-year career. He’s 80-52 with a career 3.18 ERA (and a career 130 ERA+), never once ending a season with an ERA over four. He’s stayed healthy, eaten up innings, and pitched well in the postseason. What more could you ask for at that price?

If Cleveland is convinced its contention window is opening now, with young players blossoming and Jose Ramirez in the heart of his team-friendly deal, Hendricks would be a perfect name to consider. 

The Cubs have made it known they’ll be sellers at the deadline, and though his name hasn’t been thrown out there much, one has to assume Chicago would listen to offers as the team enters a rebuilding phase (even if they are only calling it a “retooling” period). 

What’s the value of keeping a pitcher in his 30s if the team is effectively blowing it up for the next few years?

For the Indians, it would be a substantial investment by their standards, not just monetarily,

but in what the team would give up from a player standpoint. A pitcher of Hendricks’ caliber, guaranteed for three more seasons if Cleveland wants him, is going to cost some highly regarded prospects and Major League talent.

But the Indians are in the rare position where this would make sense; the team is loaded with prospects at similar positions and is facing a 40-man roster crunch. Plus, the future of the back end of the rotation is, at this point, far shakier than anyone would have anticipated.

If the Cubs are truly ready to blow it all up, a move like this solidifies Cleveland’s pitching dominance for years to come.

Bio: Steve DiMatteo has covered baseball for the Associated Press, MLB.com, and a variety of other publications, and currently hosts the California Penal League Podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.