Kris Bryant Making Chicago Cubs’ Decision Impossible
The Chicago Cubs’ plan was simple — send Kris Bryant down to Triple-A for a few weeks to start the season, then call him up and gain an extra year of control. Bryant is not down with that plan, though. His play so far this spring demonstrates that he has his own plan — to play in Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform when the season starts April 5.
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Theo Epstein came to Chicago with a plan. He tore down the minor league system and built it back up. He got rid of high-priced contracts and signed lower-talented players.
He said it would be tough, and it was. The Cubs finished last for the last three seasons, but he said it was part of the plan. Trust in the plan.
Now, however, the next part of Epstein’s plan is being questioned. That part is to ship third baseman Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs’ top prospect, down to Triple-A Iowa, even though he seems like he’s ready to play in the Show now.
See, if the Cubs send Bryant down before the season starts, then call him back up a few weeks later, the free agent clock on Bryant is delayed by another year. That’s another year that he is under Cubs’ control.
That extra year of control is important because of who Bryant’s agent is. That man is super agent Scott Boras, one of the most powerful (and hated) agents in sports.
Boras works hard for his clients, and he rubs front offices the wrong way. He will do the same for Bryant, and the Cubs want to delay that as much as possible.
Bryant has his own plan. He wants to be in blue pinstripes as soon as he can. He doesn’t care about what Boras wants. He doesn’t care what Epstein and the Cubs want.
So far this spring, Bryant is showing that he certainly deserves to be on the team when Opening Day hits. He is hitting .450, with 6 home runs and 9 RBI. He has an On-Base-Percentage of .522 and a ridiculous 1.400 Slugging percentage.
Yes, I know, this is just spring training. Bryant is doing his part in trying to convince the Cubs to have him start the season with the major league club. He is making an impression on Epstein. “Spring training is spring training. But he’s putting on a show,” he said of Bryant.
Chicago Cubs
He may be fighting a losing battle, however. No matter what he does, it looks like he will start his 2015 season in Iowa.
Of course, there are a lot of eyes watching what the Cubs do. Boras is watching, the fans are watching and the MLBPA is watching. The players union is keeping a close eye on how the Cubs handle Bryant and could file a grievance if he is indeed shipped to Iowa.
The Cubs may have an answer to their conundrum.
Manager Joe Maddon mentioned that he will give the leading candidate at third base today, Mile Olt, some time out in the outfield. He said he will also have Bryant go out there.
At 6-foot-5, some scouts have projected Bryant to eventually play in the outfield. Starting to work him in left field would avoid some trouble.
The Cubs can now just say that Bryant needs some repetition in the outfield, so he NEEDS to go down to Iowa to work on that. When he gets called up, he can better help the team in the outfield.
I’m not saying the Cubs are just using the outfield slot as an excuse. That may be where they envisioned him from the beginning. It could be this free agency clock just sped up the process.
Yes, Kris Bryant deserves to be with the Cubs on Opening Day. No, it will not happen. Don’t blame the Cubs for that, though. These are the rules set up by baseball, and many teams do the same thing. It’s just that Bryant is a high-profile player, and it attracts more attention. If people don’t like the situation, then blame MLB, not the Cubs.
No matter what happens at the end of spring training, Byrant will eventually play in Wrigley Field, and he will be a star. It’s just a matter of when it starts.