Commentary: Thanks for the memories Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber hit a ton of homers as a Cub (Jerry Lai - USA Today Sports)

Commentary: Thanks for the memories Kyle Schwarber


by - Staff Writer -

In Jed Hoyer’s first big move as President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs, Kyle Schwarber was not tendered a contract for the 2021 season at the Dec. 2 deadline.

The move was not a huge surprise, considering Kyle Schwarber was due to a raise in arbitration to 8 million a year — a contract the Cubs were not willing to pay in the midst of a pandemic that is hurting them financially and for a player who is below average defensively and coming off the worst hitting year of his career. This makes Schwarber a free agent this offseason, one year sooner than he would have been had the Cubs picked up his contract's final year through arbitration.

Schwarber and the Cubs have had a special relationship — with Theo Epstein being the guy within the organization that consistently vouched for Schwarber and fought to keep him on the Cubs throughout the years. It makes you wonder that a few days after Epstein steps down, Schwarber is not tendered a deal. But either way, the move was not a jaw-dropping one.

But without a doubt, it stings to see the pieces that filled the puzzle that won a World Series championship spread out across the league, piece by piece. This offseason has barely begun. It appears the Jon Lester, Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr., Epstein, and Len Kasper are already members of the organization that contributed to the 2016 championship that are departing this offseason.

Schwarber was a member of this team's core for years and is leaving a stamp on this organization. And although the Cubs and Schwarber have expressed a mutual desire to reunite, he is a free agent. And he went to social media to express his appreciation for the city.

So I wanted to thank Kyle for what he’s done over the past seven years.

Kyle, Thank you

* For contributing to bringing playoff baseball back to Wrigley Field.

* For the 121 homers you’ve crushed in your career.

* For the six playoff bombs, including the Schwarbomb against Pittsburgh in the 2015 Wild Card game that solidified the Cubs are good — and for the one on the Schwarboard against the Cardinals in the NLDS.

* For the hard work to get better in the outfield to find a role on the team.

* For always being on the top step, cheering for your teammates.

* For saluting the left-field fans every game.

* For the role, you and your foundation do off the field.

* For the energy you always brought to the lineup.

* For your team-first attitude, that resonated even when you were sent down in the lineup.

* For your willingness to help the Cubs.

* For your dedication after your knee injury in 2016, that led to your epic comeback.

* For your World Series heroics.

* For contributing to the 2016 World Series Championship.

For that, and everything else, Thank you, Kyle. Hopefully, we are able to see you again in a Cubs uniform, but if not — Thank you for it all.

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