You know the countless rumors a decade ago about the Cubs and Brian Roberts and now the recent rumors about the Cubs and Whit Merrifield? So much noise, but nothing actually happening. Well, the Yankees also have a player that they’ve been interested in for a while, but despite the building speculation, a trade between the Cubs and Yankees involving Kyle Schwarber is just going to be something for fans to argue about and most likely nothing else.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially this offseason when the Cubs are surely taking more calls about their players than ever before. Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo, Ian Happ, Albert Almora Jr. and even Yu Darvish have been mentioned in trade rumors, so it was only a matter of time before Schwarber was linked to a team.
The Yankees are interested in Schwarber, but even in his reporting The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal pretty much says that nothing is pointing to a trade ever happening.
Via The Athletic.
At this moment there is no momentum, according to major-league sources, and chances are there will never be.
The Yankees’ interest in Schwarber is not new; they have been talking to the Cubs about him since at least 2016, sources said. The nature of the latest conversations also is not new. The teams are talking, yes, but again that’s all it is — talk.
You can read more below, as Rosenthal goes on to say that there’s not really a fit for Schwarber on the Yankees. And well, just like there have been reports about the Cubs asking for a huge haul for Bryant and Contreras, they’re not going to sell low on Schwarber either.
First base? Schwarber has yet to play an inning at that position professionally. The Yankees aren’t exactly set at first with their potential Luke Voit-Mike Ford platoon. But would they want to meet the Cubs’ price for Schwarber when he would be a potential liability in left and an outright gamble at first?
That’s right, the Cubs are not going to sell low on a player who hit 38 home runs last season, a player who ranked eighth in the National League with a .997 OPS after the All-Star break.
Rosenthal tries to make a case in which it could make sense for the Cubs. Schwarber is projected to make about $8 million in 2020. I guess if he’s traded that saves the Cubs some money, left field becomes open and in turn they could then “afford” to re-sign Nick Castellanos to replace Schwarber.
The thing is, right now the Cubs are all about getting as much value from their players and Schwarber would cost at least half of what Castellanos would. I know some of you don’t want to accept this because Castellanos was awesome with the Cubs, but Schwarber has been the better player so far in their careers.
Yes, they offer different things at the plate, as Castellanos hits for a higher average and stepped up under a bigger stage for the Cubs. But, ugh, are we just going to ignore Schwarber’s incredible second half?
Anyway, argue all you want, but Schwarber to the Yankees might pop up again, yet the chances of a trade actually happening are super low. There’s just no way the Cubs get a good enough return to deal away Schwarber.
