Chicago Cubs Rumors: Kyle Schwarber Must Not Be Traded At MLB Trade Deadline

The Chicago Cubs have opened the season as the best team in baseball and many are already talking about them as a World Series favorite. There are other teams around the league that could compete with them and the Cubs still have holes to fill. One of those holes is bringing in another relieve for the bullpen that has struggled all season long.

Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman of the New York Yankees have both been mentioned as trade targets for the Cubs. Unfortunately, the Cubs would likely have to deal Kyle Schwarber in order to bring one of those two players on board. New York would reportedly “walk away” from a deal if the Cubs aren’t willing to move Schwarber, according to Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation.

While either Miller or Chapman would be huge for the Cubs this season, there is no way that they should even remotely consider trading Schwarber.

Last season, with the Cubs in 69 regular season games, Schwarber compiled a 0.246 batting average to go along with 16 home runs and 43 RBI’s. He took his game to the next level in the Cubs’ playoff run with a 0.333 batting average to go along with five home runs and eight RBIs. Without Schwarber, there is a good chance that the Cubs would have fallen against the St. Louis Cardinals.

At just 23-years-old, the future is incredibly bright for the Cubs’ star slugger. He is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered just two games into the season, but that isn’t a long-term concern.

Theo Epstein has always been a smart negotiator and he’s made some comments about Schwarber.

“I’m looking forward to Kyle Schwarber coming back and hitting a very big home run in a Cubs uniform sometime very early next season.”

Those comments certainly seem to indicate that the Cubs have no plans to trade Schwarber. There are plenty of other talented young players that Chicago could part with other than the former IU superstar.

Schwarber has the potential to become one of the most powerful batters in Major League Baseball in the next few seasons. Chicago already has a lot of pop in their lineup, but adding Schwarber to the current mix of players would be a nightmare for any opposing pitcher. Trading that kind of talent away would be a major mistake.

Joe Maddon is the type of manager who loves tinkering with his lineups and Schwarber was used in many different ways last season.

Expect to hear the Cubs mentioned in plenty of rumors as the trade deadline continues to come closer. They have a lot of pieces to move and Schwarber will be mentioned in quite a few of the rumors. Even though he will be mentioned, the Cubs shouldn’t include him and it doesn’t sound like they are open to that idea.

Chicago could definitely use a trade for a reliever, but they can’t overpay to get one and hurt their future. Schwarber is one piece that should be considered untouchable in any trade conversation that they have.

Don’t be surprised if the Yankees end up listening to the Cubs even with Schwarber involved in the deal. They know that the Cubs have enough talent to make a trade more than worth it for them. It won’t be as easy for the two sides to come to an agreement, but there could still be a deal if the Cubs hang on to Schwarber.

Do you think the Chicago Cubs should make Kyle Schwarber untouchable in trade talks? Would you be willing to deal him in a trade for one of the Yankees’ relievers? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!

[AP Photo/Brett Davis]