A surging fan favorite in the Chicago Cubs starting rotation has been given the chance to stay a little longer as starter Kyle Hendricks has officially agreed to a four-year contract extension. Hendricks has been a consistent contributor in the Cubs rotation since 2015, including an MLB ERA title in 2016.
The team confirmed the extension on Twitter:
The #Cubs and RHP Kyle Hendricks have agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension covering the 2020-2023 seasons.
The deal includes a club/vesting option for 2024. pic.twitter.com/of8owGjq37
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 26, 2019
Kyle Hendricks Agrees to Extension With Cubs
Hendricks has long been known as an Ivy League success story. According to Ken Rosenthal, his new contract is believed to be the largest guarantee ever for a pro athlete from an Ivy League school. Rosenthal also reported that the four-year extension for Hendricks is valued at $55.5 million and includes a vesting option for a fifth season. The contract gives Hendricks an annual average salary of $13,875,000. For the 2019 season alone, he will receive a base salary of $7,045,000.
The extension to Hendricks continues to display the focus on starting pitching for the Cubs who currently are paying out the most money to starting pitchers in Major League Baseball at $100,540,000 in terms of 2019 payroll dollars. The Cubs have now devoted 46.7 percent of their 2019 payroll to starting pitchers, also the most in MLB.
Many may or may not argue that this extension was well earned for the Chicago right-hander. Over the past four seasons, Hendricks has enjoyed his highest strikeouts per nine innings marks of his career posting marks of 8.35 in 2015, 8.05 in 2016, 7.93 in 2017, and 7.28 last season. Hendricks has not only been steady over the course of the last four seasons but near dominant in the process. In the 2018 season alone, the righty posted the 13th best mark in the league in terms of ground ball rate. Hendricks was stingy with men on base, stranding over 75 percent of the runners who made it safely onto the base paths on his watch.
Regardless of the feelings about his new contract, Cubs fans will have to hope that Hendricks continues pitching like the player he has been to this point. Paying big money for another disappointing starter would be a tough pill to swallow. Even worse, getting a down year from Hendricks could be bad news for Chicago’s postseason goals.
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