[Chicago Tribune] Column: Kyle Schwarber has thrived since being let go by Jed Hoyer. The Chicago Cubs? Not so much.
July 4, 2024
[Chicago Tribune] Column: Kyle Schwarber has thrived since being let go by Jed Hoyer. The Chicago Cubs? Not so much.
8 comments
He’s been good but the team wouldn’t be that much better with him. He’s not a game changing bat, which is what we need
Schwarber will always be one of my favorite players, the spark his return brought the 2016 postseason was incredible, but there is no but, fuck Jed Hoyer for non tendering him and fuck Ricketts for slashing payroll to the bone and firing hundreds of employees during a pandemic
He wasn’t a complete player when the Cubs let him go. He was a good but not consistent hitter and an adventure in the outfield. Letting him go at the time was the right call.
Schwarbs also brings a lot of personality and hype to the team. Cubs need that from someone.
He was struggling hard and there was no NL DH yet. So how do u keep a guy like that at that time?
One of the worst moves
Kinda wild to see people say schwarber was struggling so hard that he had to be nontendered, when his worst season (the shortened season by the way) is still more productive than the highest paid position player currently on the team.
“But there was no NL DH!” Yeah there was no NL DH….but it was heavily rumored to be on its way, and it arrived a mere one season later. A season in which schwarber had an OPS+ of 149 by the way.
This just speaks to this front office’s failures to properly project future performance, one of the most glaring examples.
This is a colossal failure either way at this point. Shortly after we gave up Schwarbs and traded rizz articles were calling for the cubs’ need for a left handed power bat. We are still chasing this now. Belli, u fortunately, has proven why the dodgers parted ways. One season was easy but now we’re in season 2 after all the hype of season 1 and we are seeing that’s he’s a quiet bat along with the rest of these guys. Don’t get me wrong, at least Belli has helped here and there this year but so inconsistent. Like the rest of the roster. And these guys are striking out at a rate that is close to the old core in its latter years. Bargain basement is how we went and now it’s what we have as an organization. Hopefully the Ricketts get an offer and run for the hills.
And regardless what any of us think, this entire season points at a league that has adjusted, a cubs team that has been neutered by a new manager (think about the approach to the game this year vs. last year) that used to coach a division rival and a group that is frustrated by the move to switch from the old coach. Was he great? No. But st least the expectations weren’t through the roof and the team responds in the way that they have. Something was better/different/ working under Rossy. Did they crash late in the year? Yeah, but at least they fought the whole way. These dudes see 1-3 pitches per AB now and the pitching staff couldn’t hold a lead with a machine gun.
8 comments
He’s been good but the team wouldn’t be that much better with him. He’s not a game changing bat, which is what we need
Schwarber will always be one of my favorite players, the spark his return brought the 2016 postseason was incredible, but there is no but, fuck Jed Hoyer for non tendering him and fuck Ricketts for slashing payroll to the bone and firing hundreds of employees during a pandemic
He wasn’t a complete player when the Cubs let him go. He was a good but not consistent hitter and an adventure in the outfield. Letting him go at the time was the right call.
Schwarbs also brings a lot of personality and hype to the team. Cubs need that from someone.
He was struggling hard and there was no NL DH yet. So how do u keep a guy like that at that time?
One of the worst moves
Kinda wild to see people say schwarber was struggling so hard that he had to be nontendered, when his worst season (the shortened season by the way) is still more productive than the highest paid position player currently on the team.
“But there was no NL DH!” Yeah there was no NL DH….but it was heavily rumored to be on its way, and it arrived a mere one season later. A season in which schwarber had an OPS+ of 149 by the way.
This just speaks to this front office’s failures to properly project future performance, one of the most glaring examples.
This is a colossal failure either way at this point. Shortly after we gave up Schwarbs and traded rizz articles were calling for the cubs’ need for a left handed power bat. We are still chasing this now. Belli, u fortunately, has proven why the dodgers parted ways. One season was easy but now we’re in season 2 after all the hype of season 1 and we are seeing that’s he’s a quiet bat along with the rest of these guys. Don’t get me wrong, at least Belli has helped here and there this year but so inconsistent. Like the rest of the roster. And these guys are striking out at a rate that is close to the old core in its latter years. Bargain basement is how we went and now it’s what we have as an organization. Hopefully the Ricketts get an offer and run for the hills.
And regardless what any of us think, this entire season points at a league that has adjusted, a cubs team that has been neutered by a new manager (think about the approach to the game this year vs. last year) that used to coach a division rival and a group that is frustrated by the move to switch from the old coach. Was he great? No. But st least the expectations weren’t through the roof and the team responds in the way that they have. Something was better/different/ working under Rossy. Did they crash late in the year? Yeah, but at least they fought the whole way. These dudes see 1-3 pitches per AB now and the pitching staff couldn’t hold a lead with a machine gun.