Chicago Cubs: Top four landing spots for Kyle Schwarber

Chicago Cubs: Pesky Pole and the Monster are inviting targets

While many Cubs fans have written him off for his inconsistency, strikeouts, sometimes-passive approach or defensive limitations, you can bet the farm on the fact that Schwarber is the most intriguing player available in baseball right now. I say that not because he’s better or more sought after than George Springer, Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, D.J. LeMahieu or Marcus Semien. I say it because he is a lightning rod for mixed opinions and different perspectives.

He’s also likely to be had for cheap. I don’t mean a million dollars cheap, but someone could swoop in and ink him to a long-term deal for a reasonable amount if they feel he’s going to become more consistent in another locale or with a different hitting instructor. Maybe someone feels he just needs to go out there and hit like he did in 2015 when he broke into the bigs with a flourish.

A team very much like the Cubs is a likely landing spot for the big guy. A team, say, who has broken a curse, recently won a championship, but then also started a bit of a tear down and reload, mostly due to financial reasons.

The Boston Red Sox have the same type of rabid fanbase as the Cubs, and probably even take their baseball more seriously. They love folk heroes, sluggers and sweet left-handed swings that can punch balls the other way off the Monstah, tank them to center or hook them around the Pesky Pole.

They also offer a small area to roam in left field (if they slid Andrew Benintendi to center field), as well as a DH slot (currently occupied by J.D. Martinez, but that could change with the amount of money he’s making if the Sox can find a taker) that could be available long-term. They also boast a respected hitting coach in Tim Hyers who loves to talk hitting and purportedly adjusts his advice and coaching to each and every hitter.

If the Red Sox front office, Alex Cora and Hyers think they can get the most out of Schwarber’s potential, a team-friendly long term deal would be a gamble to some, but a chance at catching lightning in a bottle… or at least in the “Wonderboy” Schwarber could swing at Fenway.