Chicago Cubs could trade Kyle Schwarber to one of these teams

The Kyle Schwarber trade rumors continue to abound this offseason. Which teams might be a good fit for the slugging left fielder from the Chicago Cubs?

As has been the case for a few years now, Kyle Schwarber continues to come up in trade rumors for the Chicago Cubs. 2019 was his fourth season in the major leagues (if we don’t count 2016, which was pretty much a loss after his season-ending injury during the first week of the season). Will this be the year that he is traded?

As the slugging left fielder is coming off a great second half, perhaps his trade value has never been higher. After the All-Star break in 2019, Schwarber launched 20 home runs and drove in 49 while putting up a tremendous .997 OPS. There are two ways to look at this. One is that he may finally be turning a corner after a disappointing last couple of seasons, and for that he may be worth holding onto.

Another way to look at it is that now would be the right time to trade him. 2020 will be his age 27 season, so some teams may believe that Schwarber is just starting to enter his prime and to take a chance on him. As we know, defense has always been a question mark, so if the Cubs were to trade him, it’s likely that it would be to an American League team so that he could be a designated hitter.

Another thing to keep in mind is that by trading Schwarber, the Cubs would dump approximately $8 million in projected salary, as Schwarber is arbitration-eligible. A Schwarber trade would not be a mere salary dump, however, as the team would likely get a good haul in return. That being said, it would make it that much easier for the team to go out and re-sign Nicholas Castellanos or to make another splash in free agency.

So, assuming Schwarber would go to the American League, what teams would be a good fit? Here we look at three teams that could make sense for Schwarber, along with what the Cubs might be able to get in return.

Chicago Cubs: New York Yankees

Any time we’re talking about big names on the move, the New York Yankees have to come up, right? Even though pitching should be their main focus this offseason, there’s no question they’d entertain the idea of adding a big bat. And even if they re-sign Brett Gardner, as many experts expect, Schwarber would be a welcome addition to their outfield/DH mix along with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks.

Right away, as Cubs fans, we’d have to ask whether the Yankees could put together an appealing enough package for Schwarber. Clint Frazier would probably come up as a name to go the other way, as there have been all kinds of trade rumors involving the 25-year-old outfielder this offseason. He still is projected to have a lot of upside, although his attitude has come into question.

Miguel Andujar is another name that has come up in trade rumors a lot this offseason, as the Yankees may find him expendable with the emergence of Gio Urshela at third base this year. The soon-to-be 25-year-old Andujar missed most of last season due to injury and could be an impact bat, though the Cubs would only be interested in him if they also traded Kris Bryant.

Andujar and Frazier still would not be enough to get a deal done, and looking at the Yankees’ farm system, it’s hard to find a prospect that could have much of an impact in 2020. The Yankees have some low-level outfield talent, but the Cubs aren’t rebuilding, and they don’t have much in the way of pitching that would help cement a deal. Their top pitching prospect, Deivi Garcia, could reach the majors in 2020, but he profiles as more of a reliever.

So, while the Yankees would certainly love to get Schwarber, it’s hard to find a good trade match between these two teams.

Chicago Cubs: Chicago White Sox

A lot of fans may cringe at the idea of Schwarber going to the other side of town, but of the teams on this list, the White Sox are probably in the best position to make a trade for Schwarber. With their signing of Yasmani Grandal and their re-signing of Jose Abreu, along with their farm system that has been graduating a lot of talent to the major league level, the White Sox are showing that they may be ready to contend in 2020.

Adding Schwarber’s bat would go a long way towards making that happen. They’re already set in left field with former Cubs farmhand Eloy Jimenez, but Schwarber would fit in nicely as a DH for them. That will especially be true if the White Sox decide to sell high and trade James McCann, who was their primary catcher in 2019.

The White Sox do have a young arm that would be a factor in any trade discussion and that is Michael Kopech. Despite the fact that he missed all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, he’s still considered to be one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball and should be ready to contribute at the big league level in 2020.

The White Sox have some young position players ready to make an impact in 2020 as well. Luis Robert is a top-of-the-line prospect for the outfield, but it would be hard to see the White Sox parting with him for Schwarber. Nick Madigral is also a nice prospect for second base, though the White Sox may want to hold onto him if they decide that light-hitting Gold Glover Yolmer Sanchez is not a long-term solution at second.

So how about Kopech, Madigral, and another prospect for Schwarber? That could be a match, if the White Sox decide they want to use their farm system for an immediate upgrade at the major league level. Whether they’d be willing to do that remains to be seen.

So, as we can see from these three examples, it will be hard for the Chicago Cubs to find a trade partner in the American League for Kyle Schwarber. After exploring these options, perhaps Theo Epstein & Co. will decide that it is best to hold onto Schwarber for now, especially since his departure would leave a big void in left field. There’s no point in making a trade if there’s not one out there that makes sense.