Chicago Cubs: Mistake giving Hendricks a contract extension?

Since putting on a Chicago Cubs uniform, Kyle Hendricks’ performance on the mound has largely been a model of consistency for others to follow. That unfortunately hasn’t been the case so far in 2019.

What has happened to Kyle Hendricks this season? One of the most reliable pitchers the Chicago Cubs have is struggling to find his stride on the mound following the conclusion of the first month of the regular season.

Through five starts in April, Hendricks’ stat-line looks very worrisome.

5 starts, 25.1 innings pitched, 5.33 ERA, 37 hits allowed, 8 walks issued, 24 strikeouts, 1.78 WHIP.

Now, just because a player struggles early on in the season, doesn’t mean he can’t turn his fortune around in a hurry. Just look at how well Anthony Rizzo has rebounded as of late with the bat.

Still, a well-established player such as Hendricks should be one of the least concerning problems the Cubs have on their roster, given his prior track-record of success. It is worth noting, however, that the front office did give Hendricks a nice, well-deserved 4-year $55.5 million contract extension prior to the beginning of the regular season. And that, could be the underlying problem behind his early season struggles.

Throughout Hendricks’ career as a Cub, he’s always had to pitch as if he had something more to prove, given his pitching style just doesn’t fit the preferred mold in today’s game. More and more pitchers today are throwing in the mid-90’s, making there fewer pitchers out their that sit comfortably in the high 80’s with their fastball like Hendricks. This is precisely why he’s been an underdog throughout his whole career, always having to prove doubters wrong, while playing with a chip on his shoulder.

Hendricks receiving that hefty contract extension prior to the start of the season is proving to be ill-timed on the part of Theo Epstein and the front office. Giving a player a large sum of fully guaranteed money right before a new season begins can diminish his sense of urgency early on to perform at his very best, while even making him feel more complacent. Hence, why so many professional baseball players fail to live up to their newly signed deals, or at the very least struggle getting into a groove early on.

Pitchers like Jon Lester and Yu Darvish, who also signed long-term deals with the Cubs, had their fair share of struggles out on the mound to begin their Cub careers. Lester had posted a dismal 6.23 ERA through his first 4 starts as a Cub back in 2015. We don’t need to go over Darvish’s disastrous first season with the Cubs to understand how his performance crumbled in the face of receiving a boat-load of money.

If Hendricks isn’t one to get all complacent following a contract extension, than maybe he’s simply having a hard time adjusting to the pressure that comes with having to now validate Epstein’s belief in him long-term. Darvish is a perfect example of a player who is having a difficult time playing through adversity when all eyes are focused on his every pitch, given his contract status.

In previous seasons, Hendricks could simply fly under the radar while pitching, even if he had blimps of struggles, given other more established veterans garnered majority of attention. That’s just not the case anymore, as his new contract simply raises expectations to consistently perform well.

Whatever the case is, it’s clear that Hendricks is off his game right now. While his struggles could be a thing of the past soon, it’s worth noting that until that happens, maybe Epstein is regretting giving him that extension just two days before the regular season began.