Cubs Deal Dempster 7/31/12
By: Scott Leber
Updated: July 31, 2012
CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks and infielder Christian Villanueva from the Texas Rangers for right-handed pitcher Ryan Dempster.
Hendricks, 22, was selected by the Rangers in the eighth round of the 2011 Draft. The six-foot-three, 190-pound righthander is 5-8 with a 2.82 ERA (41 ER/130.2 IP) in 20 starts for Single-A Myrtle Beach this season, earning Carolina League mid-season All-Star honors. He has struck out 112 and walked only 15 batters in 130.2 innings pitched, an average of just 1.0 walk per nine innings.
A native of Newport Beach, Calif., Hendricks was drafted by the Rangers out of Dartmouth College. He combined to go 2-2 with a 2.02 ERA (8 ER/35.2 IP) in 21 appearances, all but one in relief, between Single-A Spokane and Double-A Frisco in his first pro season last year. In two professional seasons, Hendricks has combined to go 7-10 with a 2.65 ERA (49 ER/166.1 IP) in 41 appearances, 21 starts.
Villanueva, 21, is batting .285 (107-for-375) with 19 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 59 RBI in 100 games with Single-A Myrtle Beach this season. He has a .356 on-base percentage and a .421 slugging percentage to contribute to a .777 OPS. A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, the five-foot-11, 160-pound Villanueva originally signed with the Rangers as a non-drafted free agent on August 17, 2008.
The right-handed batter and thrower was a 2011 mid-season and post-season All-Star in the South Atlantic League after finishing the campaign with a .278 batting average (130-for-467), 30 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 32 stolen bases and 84 RBI in 126 games with Single-A Hickory, his second season of professional baseball in the United States.
Dempster, 35, went 5-5 with a 2.25 ERA (26 ER/104.0 IP) in 16 starts for the Cubs this season. The righthander wraps up nine seasons in the Cubs organization after originally signing with the club as a free agent prior to the 2004 campaign.
