Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber says fans, not players, will be sad over trades

There are more than a few folks still upset over how Kyle Schwarber’s time in a Chicago Cubs uniform drew to an unceremonious close this past offseason. This week, the slugger was asked about his former team’s impending sell-off and the break-up of the core.

"“I don’t even worry about the guys. I know that the fans will be hurt, probably, but this is the business side of baseball. I got a taste of the business side of baseball, too. But the guys, who are my friends, they’re going to be just fine,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “They’re going to be great baseball players wherever they go, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”"

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Thursday’s trade of Joc Pederson is sure to rub salt into the wound for Cubs fans wishing Schwarber was still in the mix. But if we’re being honest? Even if Schwarber put up the numbers he’s put up in D.C., there’s a fair chance we’d be talking about trade rumors surrounding him right now, along with the rest of the core.

Schwarber’s month of June was nothing short of historic. He blasted 15 home runs in 17 games, something only Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds had ever accomplished. But if you look at his year, as a whole, he’s still an incredibly streaky hitter and wouldn’t give Chicago what it needs: a dramatic offensive transformation.

In June, when he put up a 1.122 OPS, Schwarber smacked 16 home runs. Beside his prolific power display though, the had just 12 hits – all singles. So while it’s nice to wax poetic over what might have been, let’s just leave this in the past and focus on what this team is facing.

Chicago Cubs: From World Series champions to sitting on the trade block

What exactly is it facing? A potential teardown of a core that did the impossible – they brought a World Series championship to the North Side. Schwarber, of course, played an integral part, coming back from what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury to serve as a spark plug in the Fall Classic.

For his part, he’s not concerned about the criticism he – and the team’s three big trade chips, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo – get after failing to turn into the dynasty everyone envisioned five years ago.

"“But those guys there? The guys the Cubs might not keep? They did really good, special things in Chicago and made Chicago baseball a hot commodity. I think people get caught up in ‘we should’ve won more World Series.’ Look at the Dodgers: They just won their first one. These guys did special things in Chicago, and it was damn fun for me to be a part of it.”"