Jon Lester is gone. Yu Darvish is gone. Jake Arrieta is gone (well, the
Jake Arrieta is gone). But Kyle Hendricks remains, leading the Chicago Cubs rotation in a more obvious way than he ever has before. Having signed a four-year, $55.5 million extension with the Cubs ahead of the 2020 season, the closest thing the Cubs have to a legitimate and studly homegrown starter is now the clear ace of the staff. Of course, that’s hardly
new to most of us.
With Hendricks, 31, we’re well past the point of waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s seven years into his big league career (all with the Cubs) and has never once had an ERA above 4.00 let alone a FIP within shouting distance (and FIP has always underrated his particular skill set). He’s never been an All-Star, but he has led the league in ERA and has twice generated top-10 votes for the Cy Young.