5 designated hitter possibilities for Chicago White Sox
Kyle Schwarber
It would be awesome to see Kyle Schwarber come play for the Chicago White Sox.
While Kyle Schwarber was bumbling in the outfield on the Northside of Chicago, Cubs fans dreamed that the DH would come to the National League. While Schwarber’s defense has improved over the years, he is built to play in the American League.
He is coming off a career year that saw him make his first All-Star team. After spending the first seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs, he signed with the Washington Nationals. He batted a career-high .266 and launched 32 home runs. Before the trade deadline, he was sold off to Boston and his production increased.
He hit .291 with the Red Sox and had a .435 OBP. Schwaber played half of his games as the designated hitter for the Red Sox. Left-handed power in a hitter-friendly ballpark like Guaranteed Rate Field is a perfect combination for a designated hitter.
Schawrber’s postseason resume also makes him an attractive option. Schwarber is battle-tested and has a ring to show for it. In the 2015 NL Wild Card Game, he went three-for-three with a home run and three RBIs.
He hit .500 in the NLDS that season with two home runs and added more two home runs in the NLCS making it a grand total of five postseason home runs in his first nine games.
In 2016, he missed a large portion of the season due to injury, including the first two rounds of the playoffs. He returned for the World Series and had seven hits in five games with three walks and two RBIs. He finished the series with a .500 OPB and helped the Cubs capture their first World Series title since 1908.
In his most recent postseason action with the Red Sox, he had three home runs and hit above .300 in the ALDS and ALCS. He also drove in six. In six seasons of postseason action, he has a .878 OPS and .518 slugging percentage. That will play.
Most importantly, he has a ring. Championship experience is always a good thing to have in a clubhouse, especially with a young and hungry team like the White Sox.
The one thing standing in the White Sox way is his potential asking price. He will demand upwards of $70 million and that’s not the type of money the White Sox typically shell out for a player.