March 31--MESA, Ariz. -- Kyle Hendricks was one of the Chicago Cubs' players who spoke to Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell before they were cut from the spring training roster.
"They were all all right," Hendricks said Monday after the Cubs' highly decorated young players were sent to the minors. "They understand what this game is. Sometimes you're going to have things hit you that are a little unexpected.
"But in the end, I think they're going to work that much harder. And when they get it, they're going to be that much more hungry when they get there."
Hendricks had an opportunity to play with Baez and Bryant before he was promoted from Triple-A Iowa last July and saw their talents, along with the play of Russell this spring.
"I was a little surprised," Hendricks said. "You never know when it's going to happen. Whoever it is, you're always surprised. You get close to all these guys here. They got to do what they got to do on their end, especially all three of those guys.
"They'll make big impacts in the big leagues eventually. And some of them will be this year. It's just part of the game."
Hendricks doesn't think Baez is too far off from correcting his flaws.
"It's discipline and pitch recognition," Hendricks said of Baez, who struck out 20 times and batted .173 this spring. "It comes down to the same two things, kind of for every hitter. I don't know a lot about it, but I try to get hitters out so I know it a little bit.
"When he's seeing pitchers, seeing spin, and laying off those balls not in the strike zone, just swinging at (strikes), that's when he's at his best.
"And he will get there soon."
