Cubs: 3 trade packages involving Kris Bryant
By Ryan Sikes
Depending on the outcome of Kris Bryant’s grievance hearing, the Chicago Cubs may consider moving him this offseason. Let’s look at three trades.
I need to preface this by stating that Kris Bryant has been one of my favorite players on this Chicago Cubs roster since he was called up in mid-April 2015. But that’s where the problem seems to start. The 27-year-old slugger recently had his grievance hearing against the Cubs for “manipulating his service time” and a victory in his favor could make him a free agent a year sooner than expected. As it currently stands, Bryant is under contract through the 2021 season and is expected to see a nice bump in pay via arbitration this offseason.
But, as noted, there is a chance that he’ll be granted free agency after next season. A decision is expected to be determined by the Winter Meetings which could hurt his chances of being moved in a trade until then. Bryant is one of Scott Boras’ most high-profile clients and is expected to receive a nice payday whether it be with the Cubs or via another team. Reports have indicated that he turned down a seven-year, $200 million extension to remain with the club which started the rumors of Bryant potentially being traded before he hits free agency.
Bryant had an injury-plagued 2018 season, largely due to a shoulder injury that zapped his power but rebounded nicely this past season with 31 home runs, 77 RBI, and a 0.903 OPS. It would be difficult to imagine him in another uniform but it’s a business. His immediate successor would appear to be David Bote which is not exactly encouraging given his 11 errors at third base last season. Bryant committed 13 of his own at third but there’s just a clear difference between Kris Bryant and David Bote in the batting order.
Cub fans should be prepared that they would likely target a haul of prospects in return for Bryant to both re-stock the poorly-ranked farm system and find a potential replacement for him long-term. Let’s look at three trade packages that would make sense for both parties.