4 Cubs Who Won't Survive the Trade Deadline

2. Kyle Hendricks, RHP

It's hard to imagine a time when Kyle Hendricks wasn't in Chicago's starting rotation. The veteran right-handed hurler has started in 259 of his 265 career appearances since making his Cubs debut in 2014 and many were under the assumption that he'd remain in the Windy City for life.

Having said that, Hendricks now finds himself in the position of potentially being moved this month. The former MLB ERA leader is in the middle of his worst campaign to date, having gone 2-8 with a 6.69 ERA through his first 18 appearances (13 starts). With his best days behind him, it makes sense that the Cubs would want to trade the 34-year-old rather than lose him for nothing when he hits free agency in the offseason.

So, why would a team want to acquire Hendricks in his current form?

Well, the Newport Beach, CA native has begun to turn things around in recent weeks. He's pitched 39 innings across his last nine appearances, striking out 25 batters while only allowing 15 earned runs on 32 hits. That performance translates to a 3.46 ERA, which is noticeably better than the 10.16 ERA he rocked in his first 10 outings.

Let's also not forget that Hendricks is a proven playoff performer. He owns a 3.12 ERA with 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 12 postseason games (11 starts) and even won a World Series ring with the Cubs in 2016.

A potential change of scenery could turn his career around, so don't be shocked if Hendricks is in another team's jersey next week.