Kyle Schwarber Free Agent agrees

As of Wednesday night, 56 players joined the pool of free agents when their teams failed to bid them, with Kyle Schwarber one of the headliners of that group. Schwarber was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, broke into the Majors with a strong start a year later and helped the Cubs

On Wednesday evening, 56 players joined the free agent pool when their teams failed to submit them, with Kyle schwarber one of the headliners of this group.

Schwarber was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, burst into the Majors with a strong start a year later, and helped the Cubs weather their most infamous Championship drought of 2016 – even after missing almost everything. this season due to injury. He then averaged 31 home runs over the next three years, establishing himself as a full-scale power threat ahead of a below-par 2020.

Now, Schwarber is available on the open market, with Chicago opting to part ways with the “Cubs legend,” who was last eligible for arbitration and was scheduled to receive a raise of around $ 7 million.

Besides the financial aspect of the decision, Schwarber has become a rather limited player. His left-field defense is suspect, with his -29 above-average Outs since 2017, according to Statcast, ranking fifth among MLB outfielders. This could make Schwarber more attractive as a DH, but National League clubs such as the Cubs are not yet sure if they will use one in 2021. Schwarber’s propensity to strikeouts, batting average of 0.230 career (0.188 last year), and .650 career OPS against lefties are also concerns.

On the other hand, Schwarber is a walking machine, has historically crushed righties (.859 OPS), ranks 22nd in the MLB in circuits since 2017 (105), and even last year had a speed of out of the 95th percentile. His Steamer projection for 2021? A .239 / .346 / .500 (116 wRC +) line with 34 homers in 132 games. This kind of muffled noise that makes the difference will intrigue the teams, even if it is to occupy the strong side of a left and / or DH peloton.

So with all that in mind, here are seven teams that Schwarber might be a good choice for – not counting the Cubs, who could still sign it again. For the purposes of this exercise, we are keeping Universal DH in play for 2021, but NL clubs on the list may want to see this come to fruition before committing. The teams are listed in alphabetical order.

Cardinals
We’ve seen a few other outfielders move between Chicago and St. Louis in recent years (Jason Heyward, Dexter Fowler), and maybe Schwarber could do the same. The Cardinals could certainly use a jerk for their roster after another disappointing attacking season in which the club had little firepower on the left side of the plate (.358 SLG). The outfield image remains somewhat crowded at Busch Stadium, so having a DH in 2021 would make that adjustment easier.

Indians
You may have heard that Indians must be offended (and this is before any possible trade from Francisco Lindor). Cleveland placed 26th in the Majors in slugging and isolated power last season, and 27th in home runs and WRC +. The club’s outfield was a particular problem, hitting a .196 / .270 / .304 collective with 11 home runs – the same number Schwarber hit on his own. On the flip side, Cleveland already has essentially a full-time DH with compatriot Franmil Reyes, which means Schwarber would likely see the vast majority of his playing time in the outfield.

Browsers
Seattle’s offense was lukewarm overall in 2020, and left fielder was no exception (.218 / .276 / .346). Five different players have started at least eight games there over the 60-game season, and the position remains uncertain, pending the arrival of top prospect Jarred Kelenic. (Right fielder Mitch Haniger is also a question mark after missing all of last season). Schwarber could bring much needed power to Seattle, occupying the outfield at the start and perhaps sliding to DH when Kelenic is ready, or becoming commercial bait if the club don’t fight.

Marlins
While Miami made their first playoffs since 2003 this year, there’s no doubt the club need to improve to reach October again. The Marlins have taken fewer left-handed plaque appearances than all but two of the MLB teams in 2020 and tied for last with 12 left-handed homers. Schwarber would change that dynamic, but it turns out the only left-hander clearly cleared for a starting position in 2021 is left fielder Corey Dickerson. That makes that fit less ideal, but Miami could still find a way to make it work. Obviously, this job becomes much easier if universal DH is involved.

Nationals
Washington’s roster gets pretty thin after Juan Soto and Trea Turner. Schwarber brings his own uncertainty after .701 OPS last season, but he would add some attacking advantage to the mix while still serving the club’s needs well. The Nationals have an obvious left-field opening – Andrew Stevenson is currently listed there – not to mention first base and DH (if available). Schwarber could help the Nats return in October after last season’s championship hangover.

twins
The fact that they simply didn’t offer a left-wing defender with defensive issues (Eddie Rosario) might suggest the Twins aren’t turning around and taking Schwarber. On the other hand, Schwarber has notable advantages over Rosario in terms of career walk rate (13.0% to 4.7%) and OBP (0.336 to 0.310), which could make him more attractive. With Nelson Cruz also a free agent, it’s possible Minnesota will simply look to prospects like Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker and Trevor Larnach to fill those voids, but Schwarber’s bat would bring some more proven thunder to the Bomba. Squad.

Yankees
They still need to be in the talk for a notable free agent, especially a left-handed power hitter who could aim for the Yankee Stadium back porch. And the Yankees could actually add a big left-handed bat to a very right-handed formation. The problem actually comes with figuring out how the pieces of the puzzle come together, given the presence of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Luke Voit, Clint Frazier and Gary Sánchez on the list. In other words, Schwarber’s addition should probably be paired with negotiating one of those hard-hitting right-hangers. (Just an example: Frazier in exchange for a pitch aid).