Chicago Cubs Rumors: Five players who could be traded this offseason

Chicago Cubs: Is Kyle Schwarber likely to move?

After a dismal 2017 showing that came on the heels of his heroic World Series return, Kyle Schwarber put in a tremendous amount of work. He dropped a ton of weight and came into 2018 in the best shape of his life.

He graded out as a much improved defensive outfielder, relying on his strong arm to cut down opponents’ running game. At the dish, he led the walk with 20 intentional walks, which boosted his career-best .356 on-base percentage. He hit 26 home runs but only drove in 56 runs, still ending with an .823 OPS.

No longer a catcher, folks have been saying Schwarber is better suited as an American League player, simply because of the ability to play him as a designated hitter. We know what he’s capable of power-wise, but, once again, if the team goes out and picks up another outfielder this winter, there simply isn’t space for him to play on a daily basis.

I know it sounds redundant, but if the Cubs get Bryce Harper, I find it pretty unlikely the team trots out three left-handed-hitting outfielders (Harper, Heyward, Schwarber) on a daily basis. The matchups wouldn’t be ideal and I think it’s far more likely we see someone like Almora paired with those two than Schwarber.

All told, this offseason will likely bring more roster turnover and change than at any point during the Cubs’ recent stretch of 90-plus win campaigns. And, while all these guys may not be on the move, they seem to represent the likeliest to be dealt in the coming months.