Chicago Cubs: Three players who are gone after 2021

To be honest, letting Kyle Schwarber walk and signing Joc Pederson makes little sense when it comes to building a baseball team. Schwarber wasn’t a good bat in 2020 but a lot of the Cubs weren’t during the COVID-19 shortened season. It isn’t like Pederson was much better with the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers either who had so much more talent around and a better culture.

However, there is one thing that is true about Pederson that makes sense. He is probably going to be easier to trade at the deadline than Schwarber would have been. If that is the case, the Cubs made a smart decision because they might be offloading a lot of money if they aren’t in a premier playoff position by that dreaded trade deadline.

Pederson, as a result, is more than likely going to be with the Cubs for a year or less. Nobody should expect him to be playing in that uniform beyond the 2021 season. He is a decent player that can crush right-handed pitching but more than likely needs a platoon partner because he is borderline awful against lefties. Hopefully, this signing turns into something sweet for the Cubs otherwise they should have just been loyal to Schwarber.

Of course, baseball is a business. When it is said that these guys will be gone after 2021, it is more based on probability due to the circumstances. Anything can happen obviously but don’t expect any of these guys’ tenure with the team to last very long.