Cubs manager David Ross has a prediction for Kyle Schwarber’s future.
“Sometimes that smack in the face is a real game-changer for you as a player,” Ross said in his virtual Winter Meetings press conference Wednesday. “And I can speak from experience; it happened to me a lot, and I ended up in some really good positions.”
Schwarber is a free agent now, after being non-tendered by the Cubs earlier this month. The left fielder struggled at the plate this summer. In a shortened season in the middle of a pandemic, he hit just .188/.308/.393, a low point in his career.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Ross said he talked to Schwarber after what he called a “tough decision” for the front office. The Cubs drafted Schwarber No. 4 overall in 2014, and he has been a key part of the Cubs’ power-hitting core for half a decade.
What are the chances the Cubs re-sign Schwarber?
“We all love Kyle and what he's done here for the Cubs and would welcome him back with open arms,” Ross said, “but I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of teams picking up the phone to call his agent.”