Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber is closer than you think to providing significant value

The defense can be overlooked

His defense is probably just something the team will have to live with. He may make minor improvements in the outfield, but generally speaking, he’ll most likely remain less-than-mediocre defensively.

His strongest defenders will point to advanced metrics to claim he is a slightly above-average defender. That’s asinine. If you didn’t have obscure stats to look at after watching him play all season, you would never in a million years come to that conclusion. I’m in no way vehemently opposed to advanced stats. They can provide context that isn’t always transparent. But they are sometimes used to delude us into believing that the plainly obvious isn’t so.

If Schwarber can build off the type of player he was in 2015 and the second half of 2017, his defense can be overlooked. As long as he makes the routine plays, the Cubs can live without a plus-defender in one corner. Jason Heyward is the elite, gold standard defensively in right field. Albert Almora is likely to see more playing time in center field next season; he’s a terrific defender as well. The outfield as a whole would still be quite good, despite Schwarber.

Next: Cubs could play it safe this winter

That’s all Schwarber has to do. He’s this close to playing a vital role in the Cubs’ pursuit of another championship. Temper your lofty expectations for him. His destiny isn’t necessarily as a DH in the American League. There could well be a long-term future for Schwarber in Chicago. But he’ll need to raise the bar.