Cubs Predicted to Reunite With Kyle Hendricks at MLB Trade Deadline

Cubs Predicted to Reunite With Kyle Hendricks at MLB Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Starting pitching is the Chicago Cubs’ main need at the MLB trade deadline later this month. As if it wasn’t a need already, with the loss of Jameson Taillon, the Cubs desperately need help on the mound.

“The Cubs’ urgency to find another starter accelerated when they placed veteran Jameson Taillon on the injured list with a calf strain, sidelining him for at least a month,” MLB Insider Bob Nightengale wrote (h/t Newsweek).

Nightengale also gave some names the Cubs could go after, but many would be a pretty price to pay. He mentioned top-of-the-rotation guys like Mitch Keller, Sandy Alcantara, Zach Gallen, and Seth Lugo.

However, Clutch Points’ Zachary Howell recently suggested another starting pitcher who has experience with the team and wouldn’t be as costly to acquire for the Cubs.

Howell suggested the Cubs trade for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks is a fan favorite in Chicago and would not only add a valuable arm to the Cubs pitching staff but could bring a monumental momentum boost to the team and city unlike any other addition.

Kyle Hendricks throws six scoreless innings for the first time in 2025! pic.twitter.com/hmzzaU77m3

— MLB (@MLB) June 18, 2025

“Trading for Hendricks would reunite him with the team that he started his career with. He is one of the few players left from the team that won the World Series in 2016,” Howell wrote. “The veteran starter has never made an All-Star team, but has proved throughout his career that he can hold his own against the best pitchers in the league.

“Hendricks’ return to Chicago would be a triumphant moment for the team. It could be the morale boost they need heading into the second half of the season. The Cubs are one or two pieces away from being the NL World Series favorite. The trade deadline could help them go toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the fall.”

Hendricks played the first 11 years of his career with the Cubs and was a significant part of their 2016 World Series championship team. The veteran pitcher had a career-best 2.13 ERA in 2016 and finished third in Cy Young voting.

Hendricks signed with the Angels this offseason and has had a mediocre season in his first year away from Wrigley Field. The veteran holds a 4.78 ERA across 17 starts and 92.1 innings pitched.

However, the Cubs don’t need an ace to lead the starting pitching staff. They simply need a guy that can step in and give them quality innings.

The Cubs have Shota Imanaga back, and Matthew Boyd was just named a National League All-Star with his team-leading 2.52 ERA.

Over his 11 seasons with the Cubs, Hendricks held a 3.68 ERA and has averaged nearly 200 innings per season.

The veteran would bring a huge boost to the city of Chicago and could be one of the cheaper trade options at the deadline to add depth and stability to the Cubs’ starting pitching staff.

Related: Cubs' Matthew Boyd Breaks Silence on Free Agent Decision

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.