Quinn Harris - USA Today Sports
Quinn Harris - USA Today Sports

It's official: Kyle Hendricks signs four-year extension with Cubs


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MESA – The Chicago Cubs and right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks have agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension covering the 2020-2023 seasons. The deal includes a club/vesting option for the 2024 campaign. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Hendricks, 29, has gone 52-33 with a 3.07 ERA (269 ER/789.0 IP) in 133 appearances (132 starts) covering the last five seasons since breaking into the big leagues with the Cubs in 2014. His 3.07 ERA is the fifth-lowest mark of any active pitcher with at least 100 career starts. Hendricks became the first Cub to lead the majors in ERA since 1938 when his 2.13 mark in 2016 helped garner a third-place finish for the N.L. Cy Young Award, a season in which he started and won the clinching game for Chicago’s first N.L. pennant since 1945 and started the decisive Game 7 of the World Series that saw the Cubs win their first title since 1908.

The righthander has already made 10 postseason starts in his career, tied for the most in franchise history, and boasts a 2.98 ERA in his playoff career, fourth lowest in franchise history.

During his Cubs career, Hendricks has enjoyed a stretch in which he allowed four runs or fewer in 48-straight starts from August 21, 2015-May 24, 2017, the second-longest streak in the majors dating to 1913, and went 74-straight starts from June 24, 2015-March 30, 2018 allowing eight hits or fewer, the longest streak in franchise history.

Hendricks was acquired by the Cubs from Texas on July 31, 2012 and earned Cubs minor league pitcher of the year honors a season later. He made his big league debut on July 10, 2014 and has reached 30 starts in three of the last four seasons. In 2015, Hendricks reached 32 starts in his first full big league campaign before going 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA (45 ER/190.0 IP) in 30 starts in 2016, becoming the first Cub to lead the majors in ERA since Bill Lee in 1938. Hendricks went 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA (47 ER/139.2 IP) in 24 starts in 2017.

Last season, Hendricks led the Cubs with a career-high 33 starts and 199.0 innings, going 14-11 with a 3.44 ERA (76 ER/199.0 IP). He closed out the campaign by going 9-3 with a 2.65 ERA (30 ER/102.0 IP) in his final 16 starts dating to July 9.

Hendricks was originally selected by the Texas Rangers in the eighth round of the 2011 Draft out of Dartmouth College.

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