Kyle Hendricks would never promote himself like this, but the Cubs pitcher has the Ivy League education, big-league connections and humble, inquisitive personality to someday run a team or at least be one of the trusted voices in the room.



That’s why the Cubs wanted Hendricks there when they made their sales pitch to Shohei Ohtani at CAA headquarters in Los Angeles, giving him an up-close look at a baseball unicorn and how an iconic team tries to recruit a free agent.



Hendricks and his wife, Emma, were already scheduled to return from their honeymoon, taking a red-eye flight from Bora Bora and landing at Los Angeles International Airport on the morning of Dec. 5.



That afternoon, the Cubs would get their audience with Ohtani, a kind of speed-dating exercise after his CAA representatives sent out a questionnaire to all 30 Major League Baseball teams, asking for detailed explanations on how each franchise would handle the Japanese superstar, helping his...