CHICAGO — Kyle Hendricks and his wife Emma celebrated the birth of their son Luca in the predawn hours this past November. Later that same day, Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins called Hendricks to inform him that the club chose to pick up its $16.5 million option on his contract for the 2024 season. The next day, the Cubs stunned the baseball world by announcing that Craig Counsell had been hired and manager David Ross was fired.
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Nothing seems to rattle Hendricks, the last player standing from the 2016 World Series team. It doesn’t matter if it’s Game 7, trade rumors or a career-threatening shoulder injury — control what you can control. Whether it’s a bullpen session in spring training or a playoff atmosphere, you have to stay consistent and stick to your routine. Hendricks, who has a Dartmouth degree in economics, processed the Counsell decision like so many other seismic events around this franchise within the last decade.
“That’s how the business goes,” Hendricks said.
It still felt personal because Ross made a huge impact on Hendricks’ career as a veteran catcher during Hendricks’ first full season in the majors (2015) and the championship year when Hendricks led the majors in ERA. Hendricks started Ross’ first game as the Cubs manager in 2020, throwing a complete-game shutout at an empty Wrigley Field on an unimaginable Opening Day against Counsell’s Milwaukee Brewers.
Kyle Hendricks will never forget his MLB debut, thanks to Anthony Rizzo 😂
See AlsoCody Bellinger is, once again, a major part of the Cubs' present, if not their futureWhich Cubs' options will get exercised?Who's under contract the longest for each team?A year after pivotal losing streak, Cubs still haven't gotten back on track— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) January 13, 2024
Hendricks’ return to the rotation last year helped the Cubs dig out from 10 games under .500 and stay in contention for a playoff spot until late September. Amid that collapse, the Cubs still saw significant improvements in several areas, leading chairman Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to give Ross votes of confidence.
“Rossy was the best,” Hendricks said. “He was the best manager I’ve had up to this time. I can’t thank him enough for how he treated me, the respect he gave me, everything. The friendship we have going forward, it will never stop. We’ll always be connected.
“On the other side of that coin, getting Craig is amazing. It shows where this organization is headed and where we’re trying to go in these next coming years. We have so much respect for him after seeing him on the other side. He’s been a thorn in our side for years.”
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Indeed, the Brewers took advantage while the defending champs nursed their World Series hangover in 2017, jumping out to a 5 1/2-game lead in the National League Central at the All-Star break, which further motivated the Cubs to give up Dylan Cease and Eloy Jiménez in the José Quintana trade.
The Brewers chased down the Cubs in September 2018, forcing and winning a Game 163 that gave Milwaukee the division title. That defeat knocked the Cubs into the wild-card round, which ended in a 13-inning loss to the Colorado Rockies that led to Theo Epstein’s memorable declaration: “Our offense broke.”
The exact moment that Hoyer fully knew the Cubs would be sellers at the 2021 trade deadline happened in Milwaukee, where Jake Arrieta failed to protect a seven-run, first-inning lead in an eventual 15-7 loss to the Brewers, part of the 11-game losing streak that stretched from late June into early July and signaled the end of an era.
In Counsell’s eight full seasons as Milwaukee’s manager, the Brewers posted six winning records, qualified for the playoffs five times and won three division titles. During that time, Milwaukee’s Opening Day payroll ranked anywhere from 17th to 30th out of 30 major-league clubs, according to the Cot’s Baseball Contracts database.
“Their teams were always so fundamentally sound,” Hendricks said. “The at-bats they put together, they’re just a pain. Your pitch count always went up. They had a good plan of attack. They just wore you down. You saw that he got the most out of his teams every single year. That’s the thing that really stood out. I’m so excited just to see up close how he handles everything and how the team operates. He’s such a relaxed, laid-back guy that I think it’s going to be a perfect fit.”
If Counsell doesn’t know by now, he will soon find out that Hendricks is among the most low-maintenance players he will ever encounter. Across his career, Hendricks has essentially pitched a full season against the Brewers, going 10-8 with a 3.46 ERA in 34 starts. Hoyer didn’t simply interview Counsell for a full download on Milwaukee’s systems and new information on Cubs personnel. Once Counsell’s contract with the Brewers expired and Hoyer reached out to set up a meeting, both sides were somewhat guarded. But finalizing Counsell’s five-year, $40 million contract meant the Cubs gained access to a different perspective on their entire organization.
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“I want to pick his brain about how they were attacking me,” Hendricks said. “That’s another really small point that could end up paying huge dividends. What did they game-plan? What little things did they see that maybe we weren’t picking up on? That can only make us better.”
That still isn’t enough to go from 83 wins to a viable World Series contender. That is why the Cubs have been staying in touch with Scott Boras, the agent who represents Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman. The Cubs are also planning to make upgrades to the bullpen, an area where Counsell demonstrated a great feel for making in-game decisions and keeping relievers relatively fresh throughout a 162-game season.
There’s a clear foundation built around two-way players such as Dansby Swanson, Nico ho*rner, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, a deep group of credible starting pitchers headlined by Justin Steele, and one of the game’s best farm systems, highlighted by nine Cubs prospects recently making the Baseball Prospectus top 101.
Hendricks was also encouraged by Counsell’s decision to retain pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, who oversaw advance scouting/run prevention for the 2016 World Series team: “Everybody was hoping that he would be back. I think it shows Craig’s acumen that he knew what he had in Tommy — and what they had here — so he stuck with it.”
Hendricks, 34, confirmed that the team did not approach him about a multiyear deal before picking up the 2024 option, and there has been no movement toward a contract extension. After getting shut down in the second half of a lost 2022 season — he was diagnosed with a capsular tear in his right shoulder — Hendricks is just happy to be operating at full strength and going through a normal offseason program.
“I have so much respect and trust in the whole organization from top to bottom,” Hendricks said, mentioning Ricketts, Hoyer and Hawkins by name. “I can’t thank all of them enough for bringing me back and giving me an opportunity to play for the Cubs. There’s obviously nowhere I’d rather be. It’s the most special place in the world.”
(Top photo of Kyle Hendricks: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney
