The Chicago Cubs (46-37) hold the second wild-card spot in the National League despite having the 23rd-ranked offense in the MLB. If they hope to continue their postseason push the roster will need an offensive boost down the stretch. Will Chicago look for help from within the organization?
Trade rumors have followed the Cubs for quite a while, but they've mostly focused on starting pitching acquisitions. There aren't many reliable hitters expected to be available on the market in the coming weeks that will be cheap. Chicago is said to be in search of a left-handed outfield bat "if the acquisition cost is reasonable," according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, but they may not have to look much further.
"At some point I think, maybe in mid-August after Kyle Schwarber gets more experience down in the minor leagues catching, I think the Cubs are going to be comfortable calling him up and putting him in the corner outfield to have him help that lineup," ESPN Insider Buster Olney said on the Baseball Tonight Podcast after responding to one of the daily "Bleacher Tweets."
Schwarber got a taste of MLB action in mid-June and went 8-for-22 with 6 runs scored, 1 home run and 6 RBIs in six games straight out of Double-A. However, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein stuck to his word and sent Schwarber down to Triple-A Iowa after his short stint with the Cubs during their road matchups against American League teams.
The 22-year-old is now batting .358/.414/.642/1.055 with 5 runs scored, 2 home runs and 9 RBIs in 15 games at Triple-A.
He has yet to play a game in the outfield this season, although he did play some left field last year. The Cubs' corner outfielders rank among the bottom half of the MLB in terms of runs scored and RBIs, so it's clear an upgrade needs to be made at some point.
Manager Joe Maddon alluded to the fact Schwarber could be back with the team when speaking of his initial promotion.
"We'll give him a taste of what it's like," Maddon told Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago back in June. "I talked to him about the ability now to get some firsts out of the way, so the next time he comes up, it should permit him to be somewhat more comfortable. He'll know what to expect.
"The next time he comes up, it's going to be under different circumstances, when things may be even hotter."
Chicago does have some trade options though. Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, Indians outfielder David Murphy and Athletics' utility man Ben Zobrist could all be made available before the deadline. Each bats left-handed, but there's no telling what these teams will be asking for in return, and as of right now it doesn't appear as if their requests will be feasible for the Cubs.
ESPN Insider Jim Bowden weighed in on the Cubs trade plans in his "Trade deadline preview" column earlier today.
"The Cubs also have a very deep farm system -- arguably the game's deepest -- to deal from, but they'll have to be careful not to mortgage too much of their future. The Cubs are interested in acquiring a starting pitcher, reliever and a bat, and with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer at the controls, I expect we'll see one or two news conferences by the end of July."
Most of the rumors involving the Cubs' trade targets have involved starters and relievers, which perhaps means they feel comfortable with their internal offensive options. We won't know officially until 4:00 p.m. ET on July 31, but look for Schwarber to get the call if no new outfielders join the Cubs between now and the deadline.
