Chicago Cubs: Three players who could be moved in a blockbuster deal

Chicago Cubs: Will the team use Bryant as a major trade chip?

Let’s be perfectly clear about something: Kris Bryant is not the problem here. That being said, he could wind up being part of the solution – as a trade piece.

This season, the Chicago slugger turned in a 4.8 WAR season, per Fangraphs. For the second time in his young career, he surpassed the 30-home run plateau, while cutting down his strikeout rate and increasing his walk percentage simultaneously. In short, he was Kris Bryant.

Of course, there are those who will point to his season-ending ankle injury. He battled through a lingering knee issue for much of the season, as well. That came on the heels of a shoulder injury that sapped Bryant of his ability to drive the ball in 2018.

But that’s not the story of what the former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP brings to the table. This is a guy who is capable of completely transforming an offense – while playing multiple positions – a commodity for any team in the league, to be sure.

This winter’s free agent class isn’t exactly dripping with offensive firepower. Of course, Anthony Rendon headlines the position players – but if a team misses out on the Nationals superstar, they could look to fill their need elsewhere. Given Bryant shares a position with Rendon, there may be some crossover in the interested parties.

Still, Chicago isn’t going to trade Bryant simply to trade Bryant. It would take an otherworldly haul – and rightfully so. But you can’t dismiss the idea out of hand – you just can’t.