Cubs Rumors: 2016 World Series hero reportedly in extension talks with Phillies

Non-tendering Kyle Schwarber in Nov. 2020 in a cost-cutting measure mid-pandemic is a move that will never sit well with most Chicago Cubs fans. Never mind the fact he was coming off a brutal shortened 60-game season at the plate in which he slashed .188/.308/.393. Schwarber earned folk hero status during the team's 2016 run - and most believed his poor 2020 showing was an outlyer.

Sure enough, the former Indiana University standout bounced back resoundingly the following year, splitting the season between Washington and Boston, earning an All-Star selection, hitting 32 home runs and putting up a .928 OPS - which remains his career-high. He parlayed that performance into a four-year, $79 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies that runs through the 2025 season.

Heading into a contract year, Schwarber's camp and the Phillies front office are engaged in 'broad' extension talks, according to The Athletic (subscription required) - although nothing is imminent.

Schwarber has established himself as a key piece in the Philadelphia machine over the last three years, combining a strong on-base presence with an elite power stroke to become one of the most unorthodox leadoff men in the league. But you can't argue with the results. Since joining the Phillies, Schwarber has averaged 44 home runs and a 129 OPS+.

Defensively, he's been limited - almost solely serving as a DH - but this spring, he's seen time at first and in left in attempts to improve his versatility. Make no mistake, this is a guy who provides his value at the plate, not in the field, but it's not a bad plan should these talks fall short of an extension and he ends up back on the open market this winter heading into his age-33 season.

Before you even say it to yourself, no, even if he does hit free agency, he's not coming back to Chicago. The Cubs aren't going to over-extend themselves for anyone, let alone a bat-only player who's heading into his mid-30s. Besides that, there's next to no positional fit with Seiya Suzuki under control through 2026, Michael Busch at first and a crowded outfield picture.

It's hard not to wonder what the 2021 swan song might have looked like for the Cubs if Schwarber was still in the fold and he turned in that career year at Wrigley instead of with the Nationals and Red Sox. But that's not the world we live in. The balance sheets needed to be tilted, Schwarber was put on the chopping block and the rest is history. Instead, we've witnessed him establishing a legacy in Philly that embodies exactly what we hoped he'd build in Chicago.