Time to panic: 3 Cubs trades Jed Hoyer has to make, even if he doesn’t want to

Cubs trades to make: Pull the plug on Kyle Hendricks

The Professor, as he’s called in Chicago, has been with the Cubs for a long time. That makes this kind of trade all the more painful for fans to deal with.

The starting pitching market will be barren come late July. The Cubs, who could be clear sellers by then, would have the upper hand if they put both Stroman and Hendricks on the trade market. Hendricks has rebounded nicely this season, though his last few starts have been a little concerning. Should he right this ship, Hendricks has an ERA of 3.57, and a championship pedigree. That’s not something many teams can offer.

Hendricks has a club option on his deal, making him even more valuable to teams looking to contend in 2023 and 2024. Whether it be prospect capital or young MLB players, the return for Hendricks and his two years of control should be immense — perhaps even rivaling that of Stroman given the contract disparity.

“I have so much respect for them,” Hendricks said of the Cubs. “I’ve appreciated all the respect they’ve shown me, and all the leeway and all the opportunities they’ve given me. The narrative’s out there. They know where we’re all at. And I know where the team’s at. At the end of the day, it is what it is. It’s business.”

Hendricks has been through this several times before. He was around when Chicago dismantled their World Series core, and this time, he could very well be dealt elsewhere. Baseball is a business, and a painful one at that.