January 17, 2019

The Cubs resigned Hendricks to a one-year, $7.5 million deal in the second week of January - good news for owners that have grown dependent on his reliable numbers. In 2018 Hendricks posted a fourth-straight season of 50 walks or less, and while his ERA ballooned out to 3.44, the 29-year-old’s career numbers remain superb. His 1.11 WHIP ranks 19th among active pitchers. Throw in a 2.12 BB/9 across 132 starts, and it certainly appears as though Hendricks could be a steal in the 10th round of your draft. When you dig a little deeper though, it's not hard to understand why he's never been considered among the elite tier of starting pitching. What holds 'The Professor' back is his velocity - Hendricks' four-seamer topped out at just 87 MPH last season, forcing him to rely on his changeup a career-high 30% of the time. There's nothing wrong with that if you're seeing results; however, Hendricks' 19.8% strikeout rate last year was the lowest since his rookie season. The former bronze Cy Young finalist has never been known as a flame-thrower, but as Hendricks prepares to enter the twilight years of his career, it's tough to trust a guy that continues to see a steady decline on the radar gun. Now in a 'prove it' type year with the Cubs, Hendricks is still worth a look in redraft leagues, but he's probably one to stay away from in keeper formats.--Ryan Cook