The Cubs started the day with big news of Kyle Hendricks’ contract extension. The righty signed a four-year deal, worth $55.5 million. Plus, he’ll get the already agreed upon salary for 2019.
Hendricks will receive his previously negotiated $7.405M salary for this season, then the money in the extension. Guaranteed $63M from 2019 to ‘23.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 26, 2019
Kyle Hendricks’ four-year, $55.5M extension with the #Cubs is believed to be the largest guarantee ever for a pro athlete from an Ivy League school. Hendricks earned his degree in economics from Dartmouth in 2014, nearly three years after the #Rangers made him an 8th-round pick.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 26, 2019
Congrats to the Professor and just in case you haven’t realized how good Hendricks has been, check this stat out.
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Active career ERA leaders
(Min 100 starts)
2.39 Clayton Kershaw
2.67 Jacob deGrom
2.89 Chris Sale
3.03 Madison Bumgarner
3.07 KYLE HENDRICKS— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) March 26, 2019
As far as the starting rotation goes, Joe Maddon made it official for the first series of the regular season against the Rangers. It’ll be Jon Lester, Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels, with Hendricks and Jose Quintana fourth and fifth to start the year.
Maddon says Lester, Darvish and Hamels are locked in as the starters for the first three games in Texas. TBA for Atlanta.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 26, 2019
As you know, Darvish and Hamels have previously pitched for the Rangers.
The Cubs made another big decision on Tuesday, deciding that lefty Rand Rosario will take the last bullpen spot over Kyle Ryan and Allen Webster.
The #Cubs have reduced the #SpringTraining roster to 30 players. pic.twitter.com/dUBRrtwoF2
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 26, 2019
Rosario has minor league options left, so don’t be surprised if at any point of struggle during the season the Cubs send him down to Iowa. Meanwhile, Webster doesn’t have any options left, so once he’s called up to the majors he has to stay up for good.
Here’s the Cubs bullpen to begin the regular season.
Rosario wins the final spot in Cubs bullpen. So for Opening Day, it'll be:
Strop
Edwards
Cishek
Montgomery
Brach
Chatwood
Kintzler
Rosario https://t.co/RNYcWdSccA— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) March 26, 2019
Doesn’t really convey the greatest confidence to the fan base, but we’ll see. Relievers can be so volatile from year to year.
