Chicago Cubs rumors: 3 Kyle Hendricks trade suitors

3) Cubs rumors: Kyle Hendricks can save the Blue Jays rotation

Hyun Jin Ryu is out for the year which means the Toronto Blue Jays are already down a man. Ross Stripling has stepped up in a big way for them this year, offering up some solid starts.

The Ryu injury is hardly the reason why the Blue Jays may need some more firepower in their rotation. Jose Berrios is only 5-4 with a 5.86 ERA after 15 starts and Yusei Kikuchi is 2-4 with a 5.08 after his first 14 appearances. The Blue Jays may have to win it all this year with their offense. But in the playoffs, as we have all seen plenty of times, you need starting pitching.

Stripling may help give the Blue Jays a formidable threesome behind Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. Toronto would be rolling the dice in thinking this is enough. Berrios might just be in the midst of an off-year for him. A turnaround in the latter part of the year isn’t completely impossible for him.

The Blue Jays were ultra-aggressive at last year’s trade deadline and again in the offseason. They are in a position similar to when NFL teams have a young quarterback making little money. Although they have some big contracts on the books, there is also a ton of star power pre-arbitration or still in their arbitration years making less than their performance suggests they should.

Now is the time to capitalize on it and not lose because you didn’t improve your starting rotation. Hendricks has been good before. Putting him in another pennant race might be the change he needs to be his best again. Toss in a reliever for good measure and we have ourselves a blockbuster deal in the works.