The Angels are taking a low risk flier on Kyle Hendricks, figuring that he has two ways he could help them.
General manager Perry Minasian said on Friday that he believes Hendricks can bounce back and once again be productive on the mound, and also that Hendricks will be a positive influence on the Angels young pitchers.
“We brought Kyle in here to pitch, first and foremost,” Minasian said a day after the $2.5 million, one-year deal became official. “We believe he’s going to be productive on the mound and help us win games. That being said, if you do the background, and ask anybody that’s been in Chicago about his impact on some of the players there, not only the pitchers but the position players, too. I think he’s one of those guys that changes rooms. We’re looking for talented players that can change rooms, and we feel like he fits that.”
Coming off a 99-loss season, the Angels obviously need to make significant changes to contend. The Angels have a handful of promising young starters, and they’d love for Hendricks to help develop them into successful big leaguers.
“We do a lot of background on all our players,” Minasian said. “In my four years here, as far as background and talking about a certain individual and what he brings to a team and clubhouse, it was as good as I’ve ever heard.”
As for what Hendricks does on the mound, he’s coming off a season in which he posted a 5.92 ERA with the Chicago Cubs. Hendricks, who will turn 35 next month, said he was healthy, but his mechanics were out of whack for most of the season.
He finished with a 2.89 ERA in five starts in September, though.
“I just tightened up my mechanics,” Hendricks said on Friday. “I was able to get down in the zone better. I was locating my fastball again. Everything works off of that for me. If I can just dial that in sooner, get back to my strengths. I know who I am as a pitcher, which is the good thing I’m secure in that. I just have to be better and more efficient. And I’m excited for that opportunity to do it this year coming up.”
Minasian added that the Angels saw some things in Hendricks that they believe can help him get back closer to the form that led him to a 3.68 ERA in his 11-year career. As recently as 2023, he had a 3.74 ERA in 24 starts.
“We’ve seen guys have bad years and bounce back and have good ones,” Minasian said. “So this is somebody we’re betting on, obviously, to get back to to the form he was in ’23 and previous to that. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Hendricks, a product of Capistrano Valley High, said he was excited to return to Orange County, even though he now lives in Arizona.
“There were so many positives that drew me back,” Hendricks said. “It’s so cool to be able to be back to my hometown growing up, about 30 minutes from Angel Stadium.”
Hendricks joins veteran left-hander Tyler Anderson along with a crop of young starters, led by right-handers José Soriano, Jack Kochanowicz and Chase Silseth and left-hander Reid Detmers. Right-handers Caden Dana and Sam Bachman and left-hander Sam Aldegheri also could get opportunities. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval is going to miss most of the season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Minasian said he’d also like to continue adding to the rotation.
“We’d still like to add another starter,” Minasian said. “It’s something we’ll look to do, if it makes sense. If we had to go into the season with what we have, we like some of our talented arms. But starting rotation is definitely something we’re going to continue to look and see if there’s a fit and something that makes sense.”
Minasian also said the Angels are continuing to look for upgrades throughout the roster, including the bullpen.
“There’s a lot of areas where we can get better,” Minasian said.
