Has time run out on Kyle Schwarber? Will Ian Happ move to left field? 6 questions about Chicago Cubs outfielders heading into 2021.

This is the eighth in a series of a position-by-position analyses of the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season.

Here are six questions about the outfielders.

1. Has time run out on Kyle Schwarber?

Schwarber’s career has been filled with hot and cold streaks. Unfortunately for the Cubs, he finished the 2020 season with one of the worst slumps of his career, hitting .101 with three extra-base hits, three RBIs and 21 strikeouts in 69 at-bats in his final 23 games.

Schwarber was just one of many Cubs who struggled down the stretch, but his slump stunted much of the improvement he had made in September 2019 ,when he posted a 1.100 OPS.

The 60-game season did not give Schwarber or his teammates ample time to work out of slumps or adjust. His strikeout rate increased by nearly 4% to 29.5%.

Unfortunately for Schwarber, his gaffe on a triple by Jake Cave of the Minnesota Twins resulted in Schwarber’s benching in a nationally televised game and magnified his defensive play in left dating to the 2015 National League Division Series.

Nevertheless, Schwarber earned enough trust from manager David Ross to start in left field 48 times and handle the designated-hitter duties in only nine games. Schwarber was a minus-3 in defensive-runs saved for the second consecutive season, but he was credited with three assists and wasn’t charged with an error in 73 chances.

A team source noted that Schwarber appeared to have gained back much of the weight he lost before the 2018 season, and a growing sentiment outside the organization is the Cubs need to get more athletic.

Schwarber, like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo (assuming the Cubs pick up his option), will become a free agent after 2021. The Cubs must decide whether to sacrifice Schwarber’s left-handed power for more contact and fewer strikeouts or pay around $8 million for a streaky hitter with prolific power.

2. Which teams might be interested in Kyle Schwarber?

For several seasons, Schwarber has been linked with the New York Yankees. The match, more than ever, seems like an ideal fit because only 14 of the 94 home runs the Yankees hit this season were hit by left-handed hitters.

“I already got a bunch of gray hairs on my head, just because I think a lot about baseball,” Schwarber said before the Cubs' playoff-eliminating loss to the Miami Marlins on Oct. 2. “I don’t need (trade speculation) on my mind too.”

Schwarber is one of the most highly respected Cubs because of his comeback from a severe knee injury in 2016, accepting his demotion to Triple-A Iowa midway through the 2017 season and shedding about 30 pounds before the 2018 season in an effort to improve his range.

Some observers might wonder whether the Cubs could get close to fair value for players coming off subpar seasons, such as Schwarber. But several teams are in the same situation — seeking change.

3. Could Ian Happ move from center field if Kyle Schwarber is traded?

Happ made remarkable strides since gaining more time in center field. He has ascended from a minus-7 in defensive runs in 2018 to a minus-2 in 2020, and he’s not afraid to run into the ivy-covered brick outfield wall at Wrigley Field to make a catch.

Happ frequently switched from center field to left when Schwarber was pulled late in games for defensive purposes.

Happ’s arm is strong enough to play all three outfield positions, but Jason Heyward is a five-time Gold Glove right fielder.

If the Cubs look for more speed and contact that results in the acquisition of a center fielder, Happ could shift to left.

4. How impressive was Ian Happ’s rebound?

As late as the first week of September, Happ was receiving strong consideration for National League Most Valuable Player honors.

But as well as Happ performed and stabilized the leadoff spot, his late rebound after a miserable stretch in mid-September was nearly as impressive, considering many of his teammates struggled against power pitching.

Happ was 7-for-20 with a home run in his final five games, including 4-for-8 in the playoffs in which he hit to the opposite field with success. He had nearly half of the Cubs' nine hits in the series and drove in their only run.

Despite a 16-game stretch in which he struck out 24 times, Happ still finished with a .361 on-base percentage.

His percentage of swinging at pitches outside the strike zone shrunk from 34% to 27%, according to Fangraphs. And he wasn’t as vulnerable hitting right-handed as in previous seasons.

Happ’s stock has soared to the point he could garner plenty in return in a trade, but the Cubs control his rights as an arbitration-eligible player for three more seasons and have more pressing service-time matters.

5. How much can the Cubs rely on Jason Heyward?

Heyward earned 10 years of major-league service time before the 2020 season, and he completed his fifth season with the Cubs in an impressive manner.

The latter is more significant to Heyward and the Cubs. As a player with at least 10 years of service, including the last five with the same team, Heyward has earned full no-trade rights.

The Cubs, who owe Heyward $65 million through 2023, received long-awaited production as well as a veteran who is taking a bigger leadership role, which could become more essential if other veterans are dealt.

The feeble grounders and foul pops to the left side diminished, and Heyward’s hard-hit rate increased to a career-high 40.2%, according to Fangraphs, and his pull rate increased to 50%.

Heyward’s weighted runs created-plus (wRC+), in which 100 is considered average, was 130. Heyward received only a plus-1 in defensive runs saved, although he did benefit this season from staying in right field after moving to center for the latter part of 2019 because of the team’s lack of production at that position.

Heyward was a first-round pick with great expectations playing for his hometown team — the Atlanta Braves — and then underwent an intense free-agent recruitment that led him to signing with the Cubs for eight years and $184 million.

Heyward has embraced his increased responsibilities with the Cubs, which could grow should other veterans depart.

6. Who will be the backup outfielders?

Steven Souza Jr. never got untracked in limited time and was released, Billy Hamilton was added in September for his speed and trade-deadline acquisition Cameron Maybin provided a few key hits as well as words of wisdom for younger teammates.

But it looks increasingly questionable if Albert Almora Jr. will be part of the mix in 2021. Almora was a victim of Happ’s fast start and never received consistent at-bats, eventually leading to the Cubs sending him to the South Bend alternate site on Aug. 31.

Almora was one of several veterans — including trade-deadline acquisition Jose Martinez — who were not added to the postseason roster. Almora is arbitration eligible, and it’s hard to see the Cubs paying more than $1 million for a backup with spending uncertainty and more urgent needs to address.

The Cubs likely will look for a speedy outfielder who can reach base more frequently and seek more thrifty options as backups.

———

©2020 the Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.