Kyle Schwarber sounds like he wants to return to the Cubs

While we all wait for the Cubs to make moves beyond signing a middling middle reliever, Kyle Schwarber was back in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, helping out the Players Alliance deliver food to a food bank in Cincinnati. Here’s a brief interview Kyle did regarding the work the Players Alliance is doing:

The event gave C. Trent Rosecrans, the Reds beat reporter for The Athletic, a chance to talk with Kyle.

On the one hand, he sounds like he’s ready to move on:

“I guess it’s a part of the business side of the game,” said Schwarber, who hadn’t spoken publicly since the non-tender. “Being someone who put their heart and soul into it, doing what I was doing for the team, the organization and the city, obviously it stunk at the time, but I’m just ready for a new opportunity.”

On the other hand, he sounds like he really wants to come back to the Cubs:

“It’s the team that drafted me and I grew up with,” Schwarber said. “I won a World Series. I love those guys. It’s Chicago. You love that. You just want to keep all doors open.”

The Rosecrans article says the Blue Jays, Twins, Nationals, Yankees and Angels have “expressed interest” in Schwarber, and of course his market is somewhat limited due to the lack of a decision one way or the other regarding the universal designated hitter (though NL teams have been told to prepare as if they won’t have it).

Schwarber isn’t strictly a DH. You’ve seen him play left field. You’ve seen him misplay baseballs, but you’ve also seen him make good plays and his strong, accurate right arm has piled up a fair number of outfield assists. Of that, Schwarber told Rosecrans:

“That might be part of the battle, the DH,” he said. “I view myself as an average to above-average defender, I’m going to play a solid left field and go out there and make the plays I need to make and throw some guys out with it.”

I’d agree with “average,” I don’t think he’s “above-average.” But he’s not strictly a DH, either.

Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer left the door open for Schwarber to return to the Cubs. We all expect the Cubs to cut payroll in 2021; to what extent, we don’t yet know. Schwarber was non-tendered largely because he was expected to get about $8 million in an arbitration salary.

Two years, $10 million. Who says no?