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Chicago Cubs need to be smart with Kyle Schwarber

By Josh Marshall

Apr 21, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber hits a single during the 11th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber hits a single during the 11th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a stellar performance in the World Series, Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber is in unfamiliar territory to start the 2017 season.

Kyle Schwarber is struggling mightily, the Chicago Cubs outfielder does not look like himself after coming back from knee surgery. Although he had an amazing World Series (exclusively as a DH), Schwarber simply cannot find his bat for the Cubs this season.

The Chicago Cubs need to be very careful with how they handle this situation. After calling up their top prospect Ian Happ this past weekend, there are rumors that the Cubs might send Schwarber down to Triple-A. Simply put, that would be a mistake. For an established big leaguer like Schwarber, being sent down can either be a huge wake-up call or a death sentence.

Obviously, the Cubs have a strong coaching staff and front office and know how to handle situations like this. But if the Cubs are in fact contemplating sending Schwarber down to Triple-A, they need to have a long talk with him and explain what’s going on and what needs to happen. Schwarber is an amazing talent and someone the Cubs are counting on if they want to add more banners to their outfield flag poles.

Sending a player down isn’t always the right thing to do. It can cause issues throughout the organization and kill the confidence of a player.

This would probably be a completely different story had Schwarber came back in the World Series and struggled. But he didn’t. Schwarber stepped up on the biggest stage and showed everyone his true talent and potential.

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In this case, I would like to see the Cubs’ management handle this situation with caution and make the right decision for both the player and organization in the long run.

I would hate to see Schwarber get sent down and lose his confidence, or even worse, get mad at the organization. But if your the Cubs, you can’t wait forever. It will be interesting to see how things develop.

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