2016 Chicago Cubs: Where Are They Now? Part One
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It has been seven years since the magical run for the 2016 Cubs, breaking the billy goat curse of 1945 over the equally cursed Cleveland Guardians (then Indians). It might be nice to check in with any active players from that World Series team and see how they are doing.
Aroldis Chapman
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Chapman has certainly had an up-and-down career. The Cuban Missile started the 2016 campaign under the banner of pinstripes after a failed trade to the Dodgers as a result of domestic abuse. Even being suspended for 30 games due to the use of a firearm in the situation. However, it was all up from there.
Near the trade deadline, he was 3-0 with a blip over 2.00 earned run average at 2.01 with 44 strikeouts and 20 saves. Being a free agent, and the Yankees on the slide themselves decided to trade two of their back bullpen pieces, Andrew Miller to the aforementioned Guardians, and Chapman to the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs. As impossible as it is to believe, he was even better. He had a 1.01 ERA, with a 1-1 record, 46 strikeouts, and 16 saves.
However, once the postseason started, the wear of the season started to show its face. After saving the first two games, it was in game three of the NLDS versus the Giants he pitched a third of an inning, allowing the Giants to take the lead and win the game. He redeemed himself the following night after the Giants imploded, and sent his team to the NLCS.
Outside of a blown save win in game one and two runs allowed in game five, he was nearly untouchable. In game six, he pitched the final five outs to send the Cubs to their first World Series since 1945, to face the Cleveland Guardians. You know the rest, blew the game in game seven, came out and pitched a perfect tenth, setting up Ben Zobrist and Miguel Montero.
Something lost in the series was his heroic effort in throwing nearly 3 innings in relief to stave off the Guardians in a 3-2 win to force the series back to Cleveland. He pitched his life in that postseason and earned a ring after a turbulent start to the year.
After the series, he re-signed with the Yankees going from 2017 to 2022, signing at an astounding 86 million dollars, only recently beaten out by Edwin Diaz at 102. Chapman has mixed success, he had two fantastic years, two average years, and a horrid final year where he just decided to stay at home in Miami, not wanting to audition for a playoff role, ending his Yankee tenure.
Chapman now finds himself on the Royals, trying to rebuild his credentials and be a decent trade piece at the deadline. He’s currently at a 2.70 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.
Carl Edwards Jr.
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The once Texas Ranger who traded for Matt Garza in 2013, made his debut in 2015 against the St. Louis Cardinals, and found himself in the middle of a dominant bullpen in 2016. He himself pitched to a 3.75 ERA, with a 0-1 record with two saves and 52 strikeouts. However, once the postseason started, he became an angel out of the bullpen. In eight appearances, he allowed only two runs in 6 1/3 innings. In fact, he was the man tasked to finish the World Series after Chapman, however, he allowed a run, so came in Mike Montgomery to finish it out. As a side note, he was also the first African American to pitch for the Cubs in the World Series.
After two stellar years, pitching to a 2.81 ERA, he was riled up to a 5.87 ERA due to injuries, even being demoted at one point. By the trade deadline, they decided to send him to the Padres, where he only pitched two games with an ERA of 32.00.
Over the next two seasons, he bounced around with the Mariners, Braves, and Blue Jays, before in 2022 settling nicely with the Washington Nationals. He pitched to a 2.76 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 62 innings with a 6-3 record.
Now in 2023, he pitching to a 3.23 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. He might be a good trade piece at the deadline if this keeps up.
Kyle Hendricks
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The last man standing from that 2016 World Series Team.
Kyle Hendricks was once a starter in the Texas Rangers organization, before being traded to the Cubs for long-time Cubbie Ryan Dempster in 2012. Quick side note, there were talks for Ryan Dempster to go to the Cardinals but given his 10-5 ability he nicked the idea. So they got Hendricks instead and what a steal.
He first appeared with the Cubs in 2014 and pitched in 13 games going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA, coming in seventh for Rookie of the Year. 2015 was a step back, going 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 180 innings. 2016 however is when he stepped up.
In 190 innings he pitched to a league-wide best 2.13 ERA for a 16-7 record with an ERA adjusted at 196 and 170 strikeouts. He almost threw a no hitter against the Cardinals, taking it into the ninth before a lead off home run broke it up.
A major player in the postseason, he was on the mound for game six of the NLCS, pitching against the minimum into the eight before giving it to Aroldis Chapman to finish it out. He also found himself in game seven of the World Series, though only pitching into the fifth inning before being removed in a questionable decision by Manager Joe Maddon, but luckily for the Cubs, it didn’t matter in the end. After it was all over he placed third for the Cy Young Award, and 23rd in MVP voting.
Over the next four years, he stayed consistent, pitching in 99 games, for a 3.27 ERA and 498 strikeouts.
Yet, in 2021, his ERA skyrocketed to 4.77, and allowed an MLB leading 200 hits. 2022 became rock bottom, as pitching into July with a 4.80 ERA found himself on the injured list with a torn capsular in his shoulder, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.
However, Hendricks looks to change his fortunes in 2023, as in five games, he is pitching to a 3.18 ERA, to a 2-2 record, and taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Giants. Now he looks to get back to form, as the last man standing.