Cubs draft Kyle Schwarber with No. 4 overall pick

The Cubs will find a position for Kyle Schwarber later — and look for pitching deeper in the draft — because they think the Indiana power hitter can be a big part of their Wrigley Field rebuild.

With the three big-name pitchers off the board, the Cubs selected Schwarber with the No. 4 overall pick in Thursday night’s amateur draft. After a long internal debate, they wound up with a 6-foot-0, 240-pound catcher/outfielder who’s played for Team USA and was an all-state linebacker at Middletown High School in Ohio.

“We thought Kyle was the best hitter, hands down, in this year’s draft,” said Jason McLeod, the Cubs vice president of scouting and player development. “He really does everything that we like from an offensive standpoint in terms of controlling the strike zone and hitting for average and hitting for power. Makeup off the charts.”

McLeod revealed the Cubs had Schwarber at No. 2 on their board after Brady Aiken. The Houston Astros made Aiken — a 17-year-old lefty from San Diego — the first prep pitcher to go No. 1 overall since the New York Yankees took Brien Taylor in 1991.

McLeod also admitted Schwarber will be a quick signing who will give the Cubs some financial flexibility to pursue pitchers in later rounds. The Cubs had been sequestered at Wrigley Field, running through multiple scenarios and looking at making a deal below the $4.6 million slot if the three elite arms were already taken.

The Miami Marlins selected Tyler Kolek at No. 2, while the White Sox grabbed North Carolina State lefty Carlos Rodon at No. 3.

Schwarber has been described as a monster left-handed hitter, though there are questions about where he will play defensively and if he can stay behind the plate.

“He’s certainly got the mentality and the makeup to do it,” McLeod said. “He’s got the will to do it. We’ll let that play out. We feel he’s a really good, underrated athlete that can certainly move to an outfield position in the corner. His bat is really why we drafted him.”

Schwarber hit .341 during his three seasons with the Hoosiers, blasting 40 homers and putting up 149 RBIs in 180 games. He could move faster through a system already stocked with potential middle-of-the-order hitters like Javier Baez and Kris Bryant.