MESA, Ariz. – It’s been a fascinating seven-year journey in Chicago for Kyle Hendricks, who began his career as the other player included along with Christian Villanueva in the 2012 trade that sent Ryan Dempster to the Rangers.
Over that time, Hendricks has gone from being relatively unknown to becoming a mainstay in the Cubs’ rotation, including a third-place finish in 2016 National League Cy Young Award voting, a top 10 finish in 2020, and even earned the Opening Day nod last season.
Hendricks will be in a position he’s never been in this season, and as Cubs camp officially opened on Wednesday, he’s now the undisputed ace of the staff.