Chicago Cubs aren’t going to trade Kyle Schwarber anytime soon

Despite the interest many teams have in Kyle Schwarber, the Chicago Cubs have made it perfectly clear: this is not a guy they’re looking to trade.

Before the Chicago Cubs report to Mesa for Spring Training in February, odds are that at least one player off the big-league roster will be gone. Even if the team fills that final spot in the starting rotation via free agency, the bullpen remains questionable and will require attention.

Of course, the farm system is wiped out. The Cubs lack a single Top 100 prospect after dominating said list for years. But that’s because those prospects now occupy spots on the Major League roster. The others were sent to either Detroit, New York or the South Side in trades for Aroldis Chapman, Jose Quintana and Justin Wilson, respectively.

The players left in the wake of those trade are some of the most talented young pieces in the league. The Cubs will likely continue to groom Ian Happ as the heir-apparent to Ben Zobrist, who is firmly on the wrong side of 35 and has just two years left on his deal. Addison Russell, if he figures it out offensively, could be an elite weapon at shortstop.

Then you’ve got El Mago – Javier Baez. After two straight years of respectable work at the plate and top-tier glove work, the Cubs are higher than ever on their stud middle infielder. But as high as they are on Baez, there’s one man who they seem to hold in even higher regard: Kyle Schwarber.

Chicago Cubs looking for a new approach to offense in 2018

There are two very distinct approaches to hitting in Major League Baseball right now. The New York Yankees, for example, seem intent on mashing their way to wins and titles. The reigning World Series champion Houston Astros, on the other hand, work counts and execute based on situations remarkably well.

Based on the Cubs’ hiring of Chili Davis, Chicago plans on going in on that second approach in 2018. And, to be frank, it makes sense. Guys like Kris Bryant struggled in the clutch in 2017, despite an overall solid campaign. Being able to shorten up and deliver situational hitting is more often than not, the difference in close games. And Kyle Schwarber plans on doing his part moving forward.

Schwarber has been working to ‘transform his body’ and appeared notably slimmer in recent social media posts. He hopes to become more of a hitter than a slugger – and that’s when the Cubs will be at their best.

Schwarber could easily be a 40-double guy for Chicago. Whether you slot him into the two-spot or in the middle of the order among Bryant, Rizzo and Willson Contreras, the intrinsic value is apparent. The Cubs don’t need to have half-a-dozen guys chasing 25 homers to win. They need to deliver when it counts – and sometimes, that’s just a single to the opposite field or advancing a runner.

Chicago Cubs aren’t trading Schwarber – period

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve heard trade proposals for Kyle Schwarber already this offseason. That’s not to say all of them were far-fetched or outlandish, either. Some made a lot of sense. But you have to take into account the human element in all this.

Remember – two years ago, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer could have gone after Andrew Miller. The Yankees wanted Schwarber and talks promptly ceased. It was a non-starter to talk about a guy who hadn’t even played in months and appeared to be done till 2017. Miller, of course, wound up heading to Cleveland – where he faced the Cubs in the 2016 World Series.

Instead, Chicago ‘settled’ (and I use that term very fluidly) for Aroldis Chapman. It cost them a prospect package headlined by Gleyber Torres, but they would rather make that deal for a rental than give up Schwarber for long-term control of Miller – one of the best in baseball.

Now, with New York adding Giancarlo Stanton to its already-formidable lineup, the Boston Red Sox need to answer back. An ESPN report from this weekend indicates they have interest in Schwarber. But – again. There’s no way Schwarber goes anywhere in any type of logical trade this winter.

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Theo and Jed are high on Kyle – as they well should be. This is a guy who owns a burning desire to be the best – not just on the field but in the community and clubhouse. He works harder than most – and wants to add another World Series ring for the Cubs and their fans. Get used to the rumors, everyone. But they’re just that – rumors.