Chicago Cubs: Can we finally talk about trading Kyle Schwarber?

While Kyle Schwarber is a fan and team favorite, the time has come for the Chicago Cubs to trade him.

Okay, before I start, let me just say that I like Kyle Schwarber. The kid is everything the Chicago Cubs want in a ballplayer — he crushes the ball, works the pitchers, and acts like everyone’s best friend.

The problem is that he just isn’t a National League kind of player. His defense is awful. You can try to dress it up and make it look nice. You can also draw comparisons to Gary Matthews in the 1980’s. However, Schwarber is not a good defensive player and he probably never will be.

The supposed reason for Schwarber being on the team is his offense. He showed flashes of what he is capable of doing in the 2015 and 2016 NL playoffs. In 14 postseason games, he hit .364/.451/.727, with 5 home runs and 10 RBI. That is incredible production for someone who hasn’t played an entire season yet.

Therein lies the problem — he hasn’t played an entire season so we don’t know how he’ll play offensively. We already know about his defense, so the offense is what he needs to stay.

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So far, though, his offense DURING THE REGULAR SEASON isn’t the same as his postseason success. In 107 games in his career, he is hitting .221/.339/.437, with 22 home runs and 58 RBI.

Schwarber is built to be an American League player. Over there, he can just worry about hitting and not defense. That is not the case in the National League. While Joe Maddon moves him around (he’s played left field, first base, and catcher so far), other players who are more well-rounded sit on the bench. Also, some good players cannot start at left field and take over. Ian Happ is an example. He could be playing every day, but the Cubs need to have Schwarber in the lineup.

The Cubs cannot afford to wait around until the postseason for Schwarber to start hitting. Also, they cannot afford to keep moving him around the field and risk him injuring himself again, or, worse, injuring someone else. They are in the midst of a meltdown in their rotation. With an ERA of 4.44, the rotation ranks just 17th, after being the top rotation last season. Their WHIP of 1.42 ranks just 25th.

The time has come now for the Cubs to consider trading Schwarber. Teams in the other league would love to have his bat. The Daily Herald proposed a possible trade of Schwarber and White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana. The White Sox acquire much-needed offense and the Cubs acquire a quality starter.

That is a deal that probably never happens, but something like that can happen with another team. The Cubs need help not only for this season but also for the future. Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are due to be free agents. I don’t see Lackey coming back, and the Cubs may decide to bid Arrieta farewell and not pay out a huge contract to a pitcher on the wrong side of the age of 30. They already gave one to Jon Lester. While that move worked, can lightning strike twice for the Cubs?

Kyle Schwarber can bring in some good assets for the Cubs. There are some other good, young, well-rounded players who are in a holding pattern because of the time he is given. The Cubs need pitching and trading him may be the best way to acquire some.

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