Last-Minute Move: Los Angeles Angels Bolsters At The Deadline By Acquiring Dodgers Pitcher at $108.7 Million from…See Details

Free agent starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks is reportedly close to a contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine, who broke the news first thing Wednesday morning.

Hendricks, who will be 35 years old next month, played for the Cubs for the past eleven years. The native of Orange County will soon be playing home games in Southern California, not far from his childhood home.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Hendricks’ one-year deal would be valued at around $3 million. He had just signed a seven-and-a-half million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs.

In addition to the obvious homecoming factor, Hendricks is making a triumphant return to the Major League Baseball club that drafted him in the 39th overall pick in 2008. But Hendricks opted to attend Dartmouth College instead of the Angels, and three years later, the Texas Rangers drafted him in the eighth round.

At the 2012 trade deadline, the Cubs acquired Ryan Dempster and Hendricks was one of two prospects they received in return.

Making his Major League Baseball debut in 2014, the right-hander was named sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year contest. In 2016, he not only placed third in the National League Cy Young voting, but he also earned the ERA title.

In the postseason, Hendricks started five games, and his efforts contributed to the Cubs’ first World Series championship in 108 years. Throughout his playoff career, he has posted a 3.12 ERA and a 1.197 WHIP.

Hendricks had a record of 69–48, an ERA of 3.12, a WHIP of 1.105, and 21.4 WAR from 2014–2020, the year in which he finished in the top ten for the National League Cy Young Award. In spite of having earned run averages of more than 4.75 in 2021 and 2022, he recovered to have a 3.74 ERA and 1.4 WAR in 2023.

Nonetheless, Hendricks hit rock bottom in 2024, with career-worst numbers of 4-12 with a 5.92 ERA, 1.454 WHIP, and -1.6 WAR. He made five relief appearances in a row after having just one in the prior ten seasons, which caused him to temporarily lose his position in the Cubs’ rotation.

Hendricks is still one of the best active pitchers of all time, ranking 12th in WHIP, 14th in ERA, 18th in WAR, and 22nd in wins. Only Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Kyle Gibson, Aaron Nola, Patrick Corbin, Kevin Gausman, and Zack Greinke have thrown more innings than Hendricks in the last decade.