Kris Bryant Is Being Traded Out Of Chi-Town

Today marks the start of the GM meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona and already the trade rumor wheel is going ramped. Through the first two weeks of the offseason the two big names that are mentioned in most trade rumors have been Lindor and Mookie, but now in unexpected fashion Kris Bryant has worked his way into the mix after a tweet this morning.

At least one player among the Mookie Betts/Francisco Lindor/Kris Bryant group will be traded this offseason, in the opinion of multiple @MLB team execs I’ve checked with over the last 24 hours. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 11, 2019

The rumors behind his name derive from the discrepancy that he has created over his service time, which he’s kind of right about. He is fighting to have his service time bumped up a year after the Cubs held him in the minors his rookie season for 11 games, so his clock wouldn’t start. Depending on if he wins the case or not his trade value can drastically change, as the team who trades for him can potentially control him for two full seasons before he hits the open market. Bryant is said to still be disappointed with the Cubs decision to do this, and now the former MVP wants out. Nearing the age of 28 with already 3 top 12 finishes in the MVP voting, the Cubs can get a great haul for their disgruntled star. Several teams with a realistic chance to make a deal for Kris Bryant will be analyzed below with the mindset of him having two years of team control available.

The Atlanta Braves

The Braves took a hit or miss deal on Josh Donaldson and it hit beyond their imagination. He had such a great year that its very unlikely he returns, as he’ll probably sign a more lucrative deal elsewhere. The good thing for them is that they have a top 8 farm system, with a top 15 prospect that they would definitely need to include. A potential trade could be Max Fried, Cristian Pache(#11 prospect in baseball), and Shea Langeliers(#63 prospect in baseball), and still that may not be enough. Potentially the Cubs may want an already established prospect like Dansby Swanson, which the Braves may be weary of dealing. This would give them Bryant and Freeman on the corners, with Albies and probably a sub par shortstop for now.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

It seems LA is in the talks of every free agent deal, and/or trade talks with stars like Mookie and Lindor. It is known that they are high on Rendon but free agency is unpredictable, and therefore they may need a trade to fill their need. Obviously this deal is scratched if they get Rendon but right now their is no clear destination for the potential MVP. With the number 3 farm system in all of baseball the Dodgers have the pieces to make this blockbuster come true. A potential move would be Joc Pederson/Alex Verdugo, Dustin May the ginger Thor(#32 prospect in baseball), and Keibert Ruiz(#33 prospect in baseball). Honestly this wouldn’t hurt the Dodgers at all since each position they are pretty deep at.

The Philadelphia Phillies

The city of brotherly love is in dire need of a third baseman. They are rumored to be heavy players in the Gerrit Cole conversation, but their biggest need is the hot corner. Makiel Franco was flat out bad last year posting a near .700 OPS and a negative 0.8 WAR(Jesus Christ). They can make a drastic upgrade by trading for Bryant who like Cole and Harper are Boras clients. The problem holding Philly back is that they have a bottom tier farm system, so in order to make this deal they are going to need to really scrap together talent. A deal that is possible would be Scott Kingery, Alec Bohm(#34 prospect in baseball), Spencer Howard(#88 prospect in baseball), and maybe one more prospect outside the top 100. It would behoove the Cubs to take the Atlanta or LA deal if they were to happen, but the Phillies can muster a decent deal.

Let us know where you think Kris Bryant will land below!

Published by Fran