It’s no secret that most MLB teams covet the Cubs’ young hitters. Who wouldn’t?
But this rumor becomes a bit more meaningful within the framework of the New York Yankees pending acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton.
In order for Boston to keep up with the potential power pairing of Aaron Judge and Stanton in New York, the Red Sox will have to step up their efforts to acquire some pop of their own.
J.D. Martinez will be at the top of every team’s free-agent wish list, but he’ll come with a hefty price.
With baseball’s winter meetings about to heat up, Red Sox boss Dave Dombrowski could also address the team’s power deficiency via trade.
“Another source acknowledged the Sox’s interest in Kyle Schwarber, who profiles more as a designated hitter. But it’s doubtful the Chicago Cubs will trade Schwarber, who hit 30 homers in a down year and remains a favorite of team president Theo Epstein.”
It has long been thought that Schwarber’s all-bat-no-glove style would be much better suited for the designated-hitter role in the American League.
However, the 24-year-old might have dispelled that persona this week when the Cubs made a social media post of a thinner, fitter Schwarber.
Kyle Schwarber appeared in the Cubs’ Snapchat story Wednesday. | Cubs/Snapchat
“It was mutual,” Epstein said. “We brought it up with him. He told us that he had made it a priority that he was going to get in the best shape of his life and realize now that to be the left fielder he needs to be and be the hitter that he needs to be that this is something that he wanted to do, to take control of the controllables. You can control what kind of shape you get into in the off-season. A lot of this game you can’t control. He’s looking to dominate everything under his control. This one of them.”
After a slow start and a demotion to Class AAA Iowa last season, Schwarber finished batting .211 with 30 home runs and 50 RBI in 129 games.