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scann
Cueto to the Dodgers lets go!!!
willi
For a four month Rental ,Dodgers would be giving up a Greater Value than , one really Good Prospects t and two more Good Players,to get Cole( Hollywood ) Hamels.
scann
Cubs should move Schwarber to Left Field…that would maximize his bat the most…by letting him only focus on hitting…..
alex navarrette
A catcher who can hit is much more valuable than another corner outfielder with slightly better numbers.
oh Hal
Makes total sense. The downside though is health.
alex navarrette
Always is with catchers, but if you can develop him correctly it’ll be worth it.
BigGameJames
Most scout’s think his bat will be ready by next season and his glove needs years and would be ready by 2017 maybe 2016 if he takes giant leaps behind the dish this year. It takes a lot to train a catcher how to handle the staff only, traditionally years. Calling Schwarber up this year puts him on the Buster Posey path and Kyle is no Posey behind the plate.
alex navarrette
I’d say he is closer to a Brian McCann type of catcher. Idk though if the Cubs should try and force him into becoming a catcher. They have a ton of young bats at every other position with impact potential, and catcher is the one position I think you should always go defense over offense. I’d try and acquire a catcher in the same ilk as Carlos Perez if I was running the show in Chicago. Schwarber doesn’t seem like he’ll ever be an impact defender.
CascadianAbroad
He already is a catcher… the Cubs would have to force him into becoming something else. The problem with that is the likely positions (1B, RF, LF) are more or less spoken for. LF would be the only option, but that would mean Bryant stays at third and one of Russell/Baez/Castro is traded. Schwarber hasn’t played anywhere but catcher or DH so far in 2015 after playing the majority of 2014 in LF.
The trade for Montero tells me the Cubs believe Schwarber can make it to the big leagues as a catcher. Miggy is signed through 2017, which gives the Cubs three full seasons to see if Schwarber can develop enough to handle the job at the big league level.
alex navarrette
I agree with what you’re saying, but I’m saying going with an offensive catcher likely isn’t the best decision. They have prospects at every other position that can have impact level bats. I think it would be smartest for them to have a defensive prospect behind the plate.
CascadianAbroad
I don’t disagree, but the Cubs knew what they had and what they were getting when they drafted him #4 overall. Schwarber is pushing the issue in the same way Bryant did with a bat that is MLB-ready.
I think it’s too early to say that he can’t become a solid defensive catcher and the Cubs should take the time to evaluate that. If he doesn’t pan out, maybe he’s part of one of the big trades for a starting pitcher. If he does pan out, the Cubs will have a lineup core of five or six guys that can put up a ton of runs at a time when not a lot of runs are being scored.
No matter what, it’s a great time to be a Cubs fan. The system is loaded with assets and ownership has shown with the Lester signing that they’re willing to spend money now that the team’s foundation is set.
garret
reds dodge a HUGE bullet!
David Reed
We need to trade a few players and start fresh. Also fire Price and make Larkin Manager. Time for changes. Dammit tired of losing. Let’s go Reds make a move now. Trade Chapman, Cueto, Bruce, Phillips And release the waste Bailey
stl_cards16
Schwarber bat is ridiculous. Compare him to Kris Bryant at same levels. He just needs a place to play. His bat would be an immediate upgrade in LF right now, just not sure they could live with the defense.
Nicholas Eltzroth
I just don’t get why they are messing around with Baez right now and leaving him in the minor leagues. He is good enough to play right now in the majors and I think that if you bring him up you can put him at 2B, move Russell to SS or 3B and have Castro play the other position. Bryant has shown he athletic enough to play one of the corner outfield positions and I think honestly he is an above average corner outfielder with the arm that he has from 3B. The Cubs right now are really just treading water and not winning games convincingly. They could use the spark that free-swinging Baez brings to the table.