Bernfield: Schwarber-Miller trade just wouldn't add up

This is the time of year when baseball conversations get silly.

The August 1st non-waiver trade deadline is coming, and baseball fans everywhere are checking their Twitter feeds at an unhealthy rate to see how their favorite teams will add or subtract from their rosters. The idea of the Cubs trading Kyle Schwarber for Yankees' reliever Andrew Miller has come up frequently.

Miller boasts a sparkling 1.45 ERA this season, with batters hitting just .170 against the Yankees' left-hander in 41 games after Sunday's action. He has surrendered only 23 hits in 43.1 innings pitched and limited base runners with a 0.76 WHIP.

Undoubtedly, adding Miller to the bullpen would bring an intimidation factor at the end of the game the Cubs don't currently have. In high-leverage innings in the post season, Miller provides Joe Maddon a better option than most of the arms currently available to him.

At best, Miller provides the Cubs a 1.0 WAR down the stretch. Throw in the Yankees' hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman too, whose contract expires at the end of the year, and the numbers still don't make sense. It's just not a prudent trade for the Cubs. Their forward-thinking front office is not moving a player with sky-high power potential for a player who will only pitch 60 innings per year, even if that pitcher is as talented as Miller.

Jeff Passan from Yahoo! Sports noted that Baseball Prospectus projects Schwarber will provide 21.3 wins above replacement over the next five seasons he is controlled by the Cubs. That is more than any current Cubs player except Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, who may finish first and second in National League MVP voting this year, respectively.

Miller won't ever make such a difference. As a relief pitcher, no matter how well he performs, he can't.

Some argue the Cubs should bite the bullet and surrender a player of Schwarber's potential for immediate gain if Miller (and perhaps Chapman) helps bring the World Series title this year. They say it'll soften the blow if "Schwarbombs" become a nightly sensation for years to come in the Bronx.

They also claim that Schwarber's future is as an American League designated hitter anyway, because he's not likely to ever provide above-average defense in the outfield or behind the plate.

But the Cubs' resistance to making impulse-driven moves for short-term gains is one of the reasons they're in such a favorable position today. By holding onto their prospects, they've developed a talent-rich organization primed to compete now and for years to come.

The Cubs should aggressively add to their roster in pursuit of the World Series title this year. Surely, adding top talent will require parting with some of their coveted assets.

But any trade they make should make sense both in the short and the long term. And Schwarber for Miller just doesn't.

• Jordan Bernfield is an anchor and co-host of "Inside The Clubhouse" on WSCR 670-AM The Score. He also works as a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN. Follow him on Twitter@JordanBernfield.