Kyle Hendricks was selected in the 2008 MLB draft. Los Angeles Angels He came out of high school in the 39th round but did not sign with the organization. Three years later he was selected in the eighth round. Texas RangersAn organization with which he would spend a year before being traded to the team he would call home for 11 seasons. Chicago Cubs.

Hendricks has served as a reliable starter for the Cubs since his debut for the club on July 10, 2014, posting 1,259 strikeouts and a 113 ERA+ with a 3.68 ERA in 1,580 1/3 innings in 276 appearances (270 starts) from 2014 to 2024. Reached . The best year of his career came in 2016; The veteran had an MLB-best 2.13 ERA with 170 strikeouts in 190 innings in 31 games (30 starts) and a 196 ERA+, also an MLB-best. He finished only third in National League Cy Young voting.

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

A recent report from ESPN’s Buster Olney indicates that the signing of Hendricks, followed by the signing of catcher Travis d’Arnaud, is part of a plan to surround their young roster with experienced leadership.

Both Hendricks and d’Arnaud are highly respected veterans in the league and could help develop the team’s young core into formidable Major League players.

Hendricks, who will turn 35 on December 7, is experiencing the worst season of his career so far. Chicago toyed with the idea of ​​taking the veteran out of the pen for a while and then inserting him back into the rotation. Hendricks would finish the year with a 5.92 ERA in 130 2/3 innings, 87 strikeouts, and a 67 ERA+ in 29 appearances (24 starts).

Interestingly, the veteran performed much better in the relief role. When he came out of the pen, Hendricks’ ERA was a nice 3.14 in 14 1/3 innings, carrying a 6.27 ERA in 116 1/3 innings as a starter.

While Hendricks is much better as a reliever in 2024, Los Angeles will likely use his talents as a starter who can take shots. The club doesn’t appear to have many options to get them through a 162-game season, and Hendricks has proven to be a reliable option who can fit into a team every fifth day.