The Chicago Cubs are looking to make some moves this offseason to get back into serious World Series contention, but that doesn't mean that they are open to trading Kyle Schwarber. In fact, it has become apparent that the Cubs have no interest in trading Schwarber at all.
According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cubs have received trade interest from other teams in Schwarber but have told all of those teams that he is not available.
Schwarber has not developed quite like the Cubs were hoping he would. After tearing his ACL, there were some concerns that he may never become the player that he was projected to be. Despite his slow progression, Schwarber is still capable of making a big jump and has the kind of swing that could make him a superstar.
Last season with the Cubs, Schwarber ended up batting .238 to go along with 26 home runs and 61 RBI's. His numbers weren't where fans were hoping they would be, but he still has excellent power.
Improving his batting average should be Schwarber's main priority. There is no reason that he isn't hitting at least .260. He has a more than capable swing to get to that level.
At 25 years old, Schwarber still has plenty of time to get his career where it needs to be. Trading him away would be a very risky decision for the Cubs, as it could come back to bite them in a big way.
Chicago does need more offensive firepower, but perhaps they are going to go into 2019 hoping that Schwarber can be the improvement they need.
All of that being said, the next few weeks will be entertaining. With free agency heating up and the trade market becoming a bigger deal, Epstein is going to have some decisions to make.