The Cubs will call up catcher Kyle Schwarber to play DH during the next week in AL ball parks.
Schwarber, 22, has been playing in Class AA Tennessee. In 58 games, he has hit 13 HR, 39 RBI and had a .320 BA.
In comparison, in 2014 Kris Bryant was also 22 in AA ball. In 68 games, he hit 22 HR, 58 RBI and had a .355 BA.
The plan is clear. The idea is to get Schwarber some major league experience then put him back in AAA Iowa to finish his quick development. A few scouts believe Schwarber has the best bat skills in the organization. He was drafted as a catcher, but he readily admits that he was never fully taught how to catch games. In the Cub system, he has played mostly catcher, but also some left field and DH (17 games in Tennessee this year). The Cubs anticipated calling him up some time this season with those DH at-bats (which is sometimes difficult for position players to adjust to, i.e. Adam LaRoche with the White Sox.)
By calling up Schwarber, it starts his major league service time earlier than many people expected since the Cubs are all about long term control of their prospects. But it does acclimate Schwarber to the intense Chicago media in a non-pressure situation.
With Miguel Montero beginning to slump, and David Ross never considered an offensive force (currently batting .167), the idea of having Schwarber in a September run is a possibility since Joe Maddon liked the idea of having three catchers on his roster. Schwarber gives him the flexibility to have a real bench person who has played multiple positions.
Many thought that the Cubs would force Bryant to LF. But Bryant is clearly more comfortable playing third base. He has played well enough to stay there. The same could be true for Schwarber if he sticks at catcher, it would give the Cubs a major jolt in offensive production from that position.
The Cubs are currently in third place with a 34-27 record, 7 games behind the Cardinals. However, the Cubs have only a +6 run differential. With the second place Pirates playing much better, the Cubs need to find more consistent offense in order to stay within reach of the playoffs. The Schwarber move is part of that plan.
