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Cliff Frazier, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Other Cubs Tidbits



 The Cubs signed Frazier before the lockout occurred, and while even before that I had mentioned that Frazier would be a good target for the Cubs, it still surprised me when they signed him.

In my article on his signing, I made these comments about him:

  • While in 2021 he hit .186/.317/.317 with a 83 wRC, he hit .267/.394/.511 with a 149 wRC in 2020. So, he has a career of good hitting, with being a consistently above-average hitter.
  • His strikeout rates hover between 27% and 30%, so not great, but not terrible. However, he had a 14.7% BB rate in 2021, and has been pretty consistently around there. So, the walks are a definite plus.
  • He had a 41.5% HardH rate in 2021, with a max EV of 111.5 MPH in 2021, so he's a guy that really hits the ball hard.
  • He plays mainly in left field and right field, though he has experience in center as well. He's a solid defender who can hit well, so overall a pretty good signing.
That was mostly a stat-based analysis on him, and while I see great upside in his hitting and defense, I also see a couple areas for a little concern. One is his strikeout rate, which is certainly not as bad as Wisdom, but also has a big hole at the bottom of the zone. But with the power and contact in his hitting, which is a little above average, I think it'll probably even out.

Another thing is his injury which set him back in 2021 and prevented him from producing good results. He dealt with vertigo related injuries, and this is what CBS said about him: "He struggled significantly in 2021 and wound up being limited to just 66 games by an ailment which left him with eye issues and vertigo. Those issues are beyond the scope of what players who earn the "injury-prone" label typically have to deal with, so he'll carry major question marks heading into 2022."

Yeah. Some question marks are definitely there. Can he get over his injury by the time the season starts and be able to show good results? It's not your typical injury, so there might be some lasting side effects that we're not aware with right now. 

But that aside, he is really glad to be a Cubs player, even tweeting he is "glad to no longer be a Yankee". He loves the city and the uniforms and is excited to be able to grow his beard back out. So, I'm definitely wishing the best for him, and whatever role he ends up playing.

Kris Bryant Rumors

Insider Robert Murray said lately that "one cannot rule out a Cubs-Bryant reunion." Not something Cubs fans have seriously considered, but it would be worthy of consideration. I'll discuss a couple things: 
  • The Cubs do have a need at third, even with Wisdom and Bote both being able to play third, but no guarantee of good results. Outfield is pretty packed, so I don't think Bryant would get a shot there, but he can play third and first, both lacking for solid depth. 
  • If Bryant did play third, he would provide a good power-bat and solid defense. He's familiar with the Cubs and their organization and had some great success with them (winning ROY and MVP with them).
  • Can the Cubs afford Bryant? Duh, yes. They have plenty of money to spend, but the question is if they want to spend it on Bryant. A 3–4-year deal? Maybe. But his best years would be 2022-2023, both of which the Cubs would still be rebuilding (though 2023 maybe not any more...) 
  • So, would it be worth it? My opinion is no, not because I don't like Bryant and his versatility, but because I like someone new, like Seager, who has a good lefty power bat. We shall see.
Kyle Schwarber Rumors

Recently, he was rumored to be seeking a 3-year deal in the $60M range. That's not outrageous, but also a little pricey, and considering he is an outfielder or DH...
  • Schwarber is a really good player. He had a down year in 2020, but he is a very valuable player to have. I'm not denying it, and I'm also not saying I don't want the Cubs to get him, but there are reasons I doubt they will make a big push for him.
  • The Cubs don't have a clear-cut DH, but they do have plenty of outfielders who could play that role. So, Schwarber would fill the DH role, but also make less spots for those the Cubs already have.
  • As much as he would add to the offense, I really don't think the Cubs will end up getting him.
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more info!

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