5 Chicago Cubs who don’t deserve to make the 40-man roster
By Tim Boyle
These five Chicago Cubs players don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster right now.
The Chicago Cubs got a facelift this offseason. Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, Jameson Taillon, and others have signed up to help turn things around at Wrigley Field.
Many of the players on the Cubs 40-man roster will still need to fight to keep their spot. Some undeserving players will remain due to contractual situations. Taking contractual obligations out of the picture entirely, we come to a different conclusion about who does or does not deserve a spot on the 40-man roster.
A mix of fallen heroes and ones who have yet to get there currently sit on the 40-man roster. Each will need to perform better to win fans’ trust.
1) Why Kyle Hendricks no longer deserves a spot on the Cubs 40-man roster
It’s sad to see the day when Kyle Hendricks no longer has a place with the Cubs. For years he was considered one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the game. When guys like Jake Arrieta were snatching headlines, Hendricks was taking the mound every fifth day and shining.
Mr. Consistency hasn’t been present for the past two seasons. In those 48 starts from 2021-2022, Hendricks is 18-13 with a 4.78 ERA. Injuries have now taken over the narrative of his career. He’s young enough to bounce back, however, many other Cubs pitchers have overtaken him in terms of expectations.
There really is no place for Hendricks on the Cubs anymore. In one way of looking at his place with the Cubs, he has earned a 40-man roster spot from past performances. Looking at the future, it’s hard to put him in the rotation over some of their other young arms.
Hendricks will likely remain with the Cubs for this season unless another team is willing to take a chance on him. After two rough years in a row, nobody should.