Chicago Cubs rumors: 5 players that could be on the trade block

Cubs that could be on the trade block: Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks is the longest-tenured member of the Cubs, as he made his MLB debut with the team in July 2014. He has shown some instants of brilliance throughout his career but the 33-year-old has declined a lot in the last two seasons.

From 2016 through 2020, Hendricks never had an ERA higher than 3.46 and he had an average ERA of exactly 3.00 (143 ERA+). But in 2021 and 2022, his ERA has ballooned nearly two runs to 4.78 (87 ERA+) and he has seen his hit and walk rate increase and his strikeout rate decrease.

Contractually, he is the last guaranteed year of a four-year deal. He had a vesting option for 2024 but since he didn’t finish in the top three in NL Cy Young voting in 2020 (he finished in ninth), it will be a team option for $16 million. The Cubs likely won’t exercise that considering his age and having two bad seasons in a row.

With that, the Cubs will likely look to move him before the trade deadline, particularly if he is pitching well and the team is not doing well.