Chicago Cubs: Let’s all just pump the brakes on trading Kris Bryant

With the Chicago Cubs looking to reload ahead of the 2020 season, people seem pretty convinced the team will move on from former NL MVP Kris Bryant.

Apparently, Kris Bryant is getting traded. Since the season ended, I’ve gotten more text messages from half-panicked fans asking me about this than any other topic – even the Chicago Cubs moving on from Joe Maddon, the guy who led the team to a World Series championship.

Why? Simple. Theo Epstein (rightfully) told the media in his post-mortem press conference that he’d keep all his options open this offseason as he looked to address his team’s weaknesses in hopes of returning to the postseason in 2020.

When asked specifically about Bryant and 2018 National League MVP runner-up Javier Baez, here’s what Epstein had to say:

"“We’d love them to be Cubs. But, again, all these players — these are guys we have to be open-minded about, too,” he told The Athletic (subscription required). “Trying to keep for the long-term. Do you just keep them for two years? Or do you contemplate listening on trades for them?”"

He also admitted that the team has approached both Bryant and Baez in the past about extensions, albeit unsuccessfully. That hardly demonstrates the Cubs are ready to move on from both guys. But you’d never know that if you’re scrolling social media in recent days.