Cubs have a chance to fix their Kyle Schwarber mistake

Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

Over the years, there have been a lot of deals that have worked in the Cubs' favor, but several other deals that haven't. To this day, you could make the case that the one player who got away was Kyle Schwarber, as that move has continued to haunt the Cubs to this day.

Known for his prodigious power from the left side of the plate, the former catcher turned left fielder always had a great bat, but his defensive issues made him a liability in the field, which forced the Cubs' hands to trade him as part of the mini-rebuild that saw the Cubs get rid of the entire core that helped them win a World Series.

Had they known that a universal DH was coming just a few years later, it seems unlikely that the Cubs would let Schwarber walk, as Jed Hoyer has gone on record to say it was a mistake letting Schwarber go. Some mistakes teams have to live with forever, and since he walked out of the Chicago clubhouse for the final time, the Cubs have been forced to live with that mistake.

However, what better time to bring him back to where it all started, as Schwarber is officially on the market and looking for a new home. While it seems unlikely the Cubs will spend the type of money he is looking for, this would be the perfect full-circle moment for both Schwarber and the Cubs, as he will give them the power bat they desperately need, while he could return home where he belongs.

It's no secret that since leaving the Cubs, Schwarber has become one of the best power hitters in the game, but it was his time with the Phillies when the numbers really took off. Just take a look at what he has done over the past four seasons. Schwarber has hit at least 46 homers in three of those seasons, including a career-best and National League-leading 56 homers this past season, en route to finishing second in the NL MVP voting.

The 56 homers would have been the most since Sammy Sosa hit 60 bombs three times in five years, but even the 46-homer clip he was hitting would have given the Cubs the most homers in a season in more than 20 years. That is hard to believe when you look at some of the historic seasons in Cubs history, but given the way the ballpark has played the past few years, the Cubs haven't had the power they have hoped for, at least not from one player.

Schwarber is the definition of a power-hitting lefty and is the perfect bat for the middle of the Cubs lineup, despite spending most of his time in the leadoff role the past few seasons. Even with his average typically sitting in the .220 or even .230 range, most teams will look past that, knowing what he can do at the plate, as his production alone offsets any struggles he may have.

Schwarber also does a great job of taking his walks, so aside from his average, he will post some of the better on-base percentages on his team, given his ability to take walks, along with crushing the ball over the fence. Anytime you have a player producing at the level Schwarber has, you can imagine the kind of money it could take to get a deal done.

In some aspects, Schwarber would bring in Stupid Money as Phillies Owner John Middleton would call it, but you can bet the Phillies, along with anyone else, is going to back up the truck to pay what Schwarber is asking. At this point, his projected contract is expected to be in the four- to five-year range, with a price tag of $ 125-135 million.

Again, a tall asking price for a DH-only player nearing the back end of his career, but all things considered, that price is a bargain compared to what he could get. If that is indeed where the final price falls, the Cubs better be in the running to sign him, as it would be a colossal failure if they are not at the very least a finalist to get him.

Even with Tom Ricketts' unwillingness to spend like the big-market teams, the Cubs are $125 million for a player capable of hitting 50 homers is a steal, so money shouldn't be an issue when going after a player like him. Even though sports is a business and tough decisions are made, letting Schwarber walk in 2021 for less than 10 million is a mistake Hoyer has had to live with for years, especially considering they replaced him with Joc Pederson that same offseason, who wound up getting traded later that year.

While there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the parties, Schwarber has credited former Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long for helping him change his stance when he was with the team, and since then, he has become a much different player. Even if there doesn't appear to be any hard feelings, you have to wonder if Schwarber will hold that against the Cubs, knowing how much he loved it there. That is all water under the bridge at this point, and it will be up to Hoyer to give Schwarber a deal he can't refuse to come back home where he belongs.