ATLANTA -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon will undoubtedly unveil his playing-time plans this weekend for 2014 first-round pick Kyle Schwarber as the second half of the season begins. Schwarber was a surprise call-up as Miguel Montero’s thumb injury could be serious enough to keep him out of the lineup for an extended period of time. He’s seeing a hand specialist on Friday.
Even before Maddon addresses the subject, there are indications Schwarber simply isn’t taking over the starting role. That can’t come as a surprise for several reasons. First off, the Cubs have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. You don’t hand the keys to a new, expensive car to a first-time driver. Not without him proving he can handle it.
Second, the Cubs have decided to keep journeyman Taylor Teagarden around. Just as calling up Schwarber is an indication they’ll play him in some capacity, the same applies to Teagarden. Why keep him around if he’s not going to be put to use?
Let’s start with this weekend's series against the Braves. It would make a lot of sense for each catcher -- including David Ross – to start a game. Ross is the easy choice for Saturday. Jon Lester is on the mound for the Cubs while lefty Manny Banuelos is starting for the Braves. On Sunday, it’s Jake Arrieta’s turn so it makes sense for Teagarden to catch him. He was behind the plate last Sunday when Arrieta threw a complete game masterpiece against the White Sox. It also stands to reason that Arrieta might be a tougher task for a first-time catcher as he has an array of nasty pitches. So that leaves Friday’s series opener for Schwarber.
Kyle Hendricks is on the mound for the Cubs while righty Julio Teheran starts for the Braves. Why not play Schwarber here? Hendricks is a pretty simple pitcher who isn’t going to overwhelm his catcher. Fastball, sinker, changeup. Let Hendricks basically call his own game. Schwarber is going to have to get behind the plate at some point, why not right away?
And then maybe his next start comes Wednesday when Hendricks throws again. Or maybe Maddon uses him in the outfield. He hasn’t played there this season but logged 36 games in left field last year in Single-A. Chris Coghlan’s had a tough luck season at the plate yet his OPS is .752. That’s not bad, but Schwarber could provide a bigger boost as he takes his cuts through the league for the first time. But how much will it cost the Cubs on defense with Schwarber in the outfield? Maddon often says he loves the “run prevention game,” which means having a good defense to back up a good pitching staff. And the Cubs like their left field platoon with Coghlan and Chris Denorfia. I’m not sure they’ll mess with it.
If Schwarber isn’t starting, he can still learn from the bench sitting next to and watching Ross. The two were inseparable for the few days Schwarber was here last month. So he can catch a few games, watch a few, pinch-hit some and perhaps get a start in the outfield. That’s the scenario I would use to blend Schwarber in with the team.
Montero
Somewhat forgotten in all the Schwarber mania is the fact that the Cubs just lost their starting catcher. Schwarber might be the better talent in the long run, but Montero provided a role on the team: A veteran backstop with pitch-framing abilities who has a good understanding of the strike zone. Montero was only hitting .230, but he had 10 home runs and a .337 on-base percentage. As catchers go, that’s not bad -- though his caught stealing percentage is just 25 percent, lowest for him since 2008 and well below the league average. It’s not all his fault -- it never is for a catcher -- but remember he hasn’t caught Lester for most of this year so those stolen base numbers against him are pretty real.
In any case, Montero’s bat will be missed, but Schwarber could make up for a lot of it. Just how much will the Cubs trust him behind the plate? We’ll find out soon.
