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Chicago Cubs: Money talks
With all the talk about Bryce Harper and Manny Machado this winter, Bryant has three years to land the big pay-day he’s probably thought about. This season will be critical for him in either landing an extension with the Cubs or solidifying his value in free agency.
But at what price will the Cubs go? That’s a question the Ricketts family, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer will probably ask themselves throughout the next year. If Bryant produces MVP caliber numbers, the Cubs will be in position to extend him and avoid the free agency distraction that both Machado and Harper dealt with last season.
After all, Bryant did say he was open to an extension, but also, he did decline a $200 million extension in October. If Bryant adds another MVP to the trophy case, he’ll likely get a bigger extension than that.