The Chicago Cubs yesterday designated first baseman Frank Schwindel for assignment, and immediately placed him on waivers.
Today, the team announced that he’d already clear waivers and had been granted his release from the organization. Schwindel is officially gone from the Cubs organization.
Over 239 plate appearances and 56 games for the Cubs in 2021, Schwindel hit a whopping .342/.389/.613/164 wRC+, and won back-to-back NL Rookie of the Month honors in August and September. It was an incredible run.
He was not able to repeat it this year, coming out of Spring Training with a back issue, and ultimately hitting just .229/.277/.358/77 wRC+ over 292 plate appearances and 75 games.
It’s sad after what happened last year, but the injuries and the underperformance meant there just wasn’t going to be a spot for Schwindel, 30, going forward. By granting him his release immediately after he cleared waivers, the Cubs are giving Schwindel as much time as possible to find another minor league gig before the end of the season. Or perhaps get a jump on an international job for next year, where he could go overseas and make a lot of money.
A fan favorite for his wonderful personality as much as his fun 2021 breakout, Frank Schwindel is forever going to be one of those “Cubs Legends”. You know, the guys who weren’t superstars, but we all just remember fondly with smiles and jokes and some genuinely great memories. I have zero doubt about it, and I will also be hoping against hope he gets another shot somewhere and has a good run in a professional league next year.