FanSided Faux Winter Meetings: Cubs send Kris Bryant to Giants

Please return to the seated position as we explain why we made this deal. The Chicago Cubs have a lot of promise within the farm system. We attempted to cash in on one of the most talented pieces, Kris Bryant. One that we remind you has yet to take an at-bat in the Majors.

The first part of the deal was Luis Valbuena for Tim Lincecum, as reported previously. Along with Lincecum, the Cubs received Kyle Crick (RHP), Keury Mella (RHP) and George Kontos (RHP). With a need for pitching, and a depth of infield prospects, we looked to make a move to acquire quality arms, while cashing in on the plethora of infielders in the system. Bryant garnered many calls, in the end the Giants package led us to make the deal.

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The Giants know how to produce quality pitchers. Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner. All Giants draft picks. We acquired two of their best, while also adding two with Major League experience, one a two-time Cy Young winner.

Crick is the Giants No. 1 overall prospect. Drafted in 2011, he had a breakout year in 2013 while pushing past a strained oblique that sidelined him for two months. At Single-A San Jose, he led all Giants starters in the Minors with a 12.45 strikeouts per nine innings. while his 2014 numbers weren’t as impressive, he spent the year developing a changeup to go along with a high 90’s fastball and a hard breaking slider that creates a lot of swing-and-misses.

Mella is the No. 5 overall prospect, and the No. 4 pitcher. since being signed in 2011, he has shown great ability to throw strikes. His fastball sits in the mid-90’s, and has heavy sink. He throws a solid curveball, and like Crick, is still developing his changeup. He is projected as a No. 3 starter.

Kontos has had solid results in San Francisco, but has been the odd man on the 25-man roster. He’s been optioned for Cain, and later for Jake Peavy, even after successful stints. His career numbers are 8-3 with a 3.34 ERA. He’s pitched 137 1/3 innings, striking out 122 while walking 44. His career WHIP is at 1.20, and could be a nice addition to the Cubs’ bullpen.

We entered into these meetings feeling that nobody on the roster was untouchable. There were several we clearly didn’t want to move, and Bryant was one of them. With the success the Giants have had with pitching, and the lack of within the Cubs system, this was a deal we felt needed to be made. Bryant’s value couldn’t be any higher than it is now as a player that’s yet to play in the Majors.

Cautionary tales like Felix Pie, Corey Patterson, Gary Scott, Lance Dickson and Hee-Seop Choi come to mind. These are just the ones of the top of my head. There are plenty more. Prospects that “couldn’t miss”. That did. In our research of the deal, one came to the top that in the end helped up pull the trigger on this deal.

In 2005, Brandon Wood, a member of the Los Angeles Angels, hit 43 home runs in the California League for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He batted .321 and knocked in 115 runs that season. He was seen as a “can’t miss talent”. Before his career was over, Wood’s Major League slash line was .186/.225/.289, with just 18 home runs in 272 games played. How did we come across this? No one had hit that many home runs until….you guessed it, Bryant’s 43 this year.

As fans we have high hopes for Bryant, and believe he will be a star for the Cubs. But in reality that isn’t always the case. Not every top prospect makes it, no matter how high they are rated or how great their numbers are in the Minors. We made the call to get two top pitchers from a team that clearly knows something about them. Add in a two-time Cy Young in Lincecum who is part of that tradition and we made the deal.

We’ll never know how this deal would work out as there is no “faux” season. But we did what we believed was in the best interest of this team, setting aside fan backlash.The good news? Bryant will be in Cubbie Blue in the spring, regardless of this front office’s actions.