In an off-season full of boredom, the main question on almost every Cubs fans mind is “what is going to happen with Kris Bryant?” Well today we are going to dive into the Kris Bryant situation and run over all the possibilities of what could possibly be done with the all-star third baseman.
To start things off, let’s address the obvious. Kris Bryant is a very good baseball player and has played a key role in the Cubs success over the years. Bryant’s career stats showcase a .901 OPS, a .284 AVG, and a career 139 wRC+. Along with those numbers, Kris Bryant is also a very athletic and versatile baseball player. Bryant can play numerous positions and has been known to start some games in the outfield. To cap this off, Bryant has also racked up lots of good hardware over his career including Rookie of the year(2015), MVP(2016), Hank Aaron Award(2016), and is a 3x All-Star.
So let’s get more into the off-season rumors circulating Kris Bryant. News came out earlier that Kris Bryant was “more than willing” to discuss an extension, and has continued to express interest in remaining a cub. Personally, i would be all for extending Kris Bryant, but knowing Scott Boras as his agent, the contract would need to be very lucrative. Reports even surfaced last year saying he rejected a $200 million extension. The Cubs need to be 100% sure extending Kris Bryant isn’t possible before moving on from him.
Now to address the other situation, trading Kris Bryant. Many teams have inquired about the third baseman, including the Phillies and the Nationals, who appear to be the biggest suitors at this point. The cubs have set a large asking price for the all-star and appear to be searching for prospects who are almost MLB ready. According to many reports, the asking price has been the main reason why a deal hasn’t been made to this point. Out of all possibilities in the end trading him seems like the most likely option, and i expect the cubs to get a nice return for him. If Bryant is still on the roster by Opening Day, I see him spending the rest of the 2020 season in Chicago. But Bryant on the move is something to keep an eye on this offseason, and possibly even the next.
Cubs writer for Field2Court.
