3 big ticket free agents if the Chicago Cubs miss out on Carlos Correa

3 big ticket players if the Chicago Cubs miss on Carlos Correa – #1: Kyle Schwarber

Speaking of warming the hearts of Cubs fans, perhaps the biggest oopsie-daisy was the front office non-tendering Kyle Schwarber last winter. It wasn’t quite clear at the time, but Schwarber was ultimately just the first domino to fall in what became a heart-wrenching fire sale of talent. So, of course, he went on to have a career year between Washington and Boston.

Schwarber in 2021 was every bit the player the Cubs hoped he’d become during his time in Chicago. He set career marks in every category. Slashing .266/374/.554, proving that he is not just just all power but can learn to hit for average, as well. Unbelievable, on top of raising his batting average 30 points higher than his career average, the baby Bambino smashed 32 bombs in only 113 games played after suffering a hamstring injury in July.

Thinking about the red-hot tear that Schwarber was on before he was sidelined with injury makes me wonder how close he could have gotten to a 50-homer campaign. Considering he missed nearly one-third of the season and still managed 32 home runs, it’s safe to say he easily could have catapulted himself into the MVP conversation. He also earned his first All-Star nod in 2021.

As the Nationals went on to sell at the trade deadline, Schwarber was moved to Boston. After returning from his hamstring injury, the veteran slugger slashed .291/.435/.522 in a Red Sox uniform while recording career marks of a .288 ISO and 145 wRC+ in the second half.

Though his defense is spotty at times, the belief is still that the DH is coming to the NL which bodes incredibly well for a player like Schwarber. Aside from being a mainstay in the hearts of Cubs fans, should he play anything like he did in 2021, his lefty power-but-now-also-for-average bat is also a perfect fit in the Chicago order.