Chicago Cubs could lose Kris Bryant after the 2020 season

Despite the oft held notion that the Chicago Cubs will have two more years of Kris Bryant, due to a grievance filed over service time manipulation in 2015, the Cubs may actually only control one more year of his service.

In what could be the most shocking turn of baseball events since the Washington Nationals stormed their way to a 2-0 World Series lead, a grievance filed in 2015 (and finally being heard this week) has the potential to rock the very foundation of Major League Baseball. Said grievance between Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs over whether or not the team delayed Bryant’s arrival on purpose could irrevocably alter the way rookies and phenoms are viewed, used and manipulated across the baseball landscape.

While this is old news to some, many have forgotten that this grievance even exists because of the amicable relationship between Bryant and the club since his rookie season. In fact, fans may have even dismissed it because nothing had come of it in the four years since.

For those who don’t recall the circumstances of Bryant’s opening act with the Cubs, Bryant tore up Spring Training only to be held back for “seasoning” in Triple-A because he needed to work on his defense. The Cubs went with Mike Olt to start the season at third base, conveniently calling up Bryant only after Olt suffered a fractured wrist.

Oh yeah, and also only after being guaranteed an extra year of team control over Bryant on the back end of his first contract, meaning he wouldn’t become a free agent until after the 2021 season. Bryant filed a grievance through the player’s union back in 2015 and four years later, it’s being heard this week.

Chicago Cubs: Could this be the last time you see Bryant in a Cubs uniform?

If Bryant should win his grievance against the Cubs (which by most accounts seems unlikely), the Cubs and other teams would be forced to reconsider past and current strategies used to manipulate the service time on young and promising players like Bryant or this year’s example, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Bryant, who under current conditions, will be under team control for two more seasons, could find himself a free agent after this coming 2020 season if his side is able to prove the Cubs held him back solely to gain an extra year of team control.

While we all know this is exactly what the Cubs and other teams have done in the past, the MLBPA and the players themselves are to blame for the language in their current collective bargaining agreement. It’s likely to be one of the sticking points going forward – especially if Bryant doesn’t win his case.

In terms of impact on Bryant and the Cubs if Bryant wins, it’s pretty simple.

If Bryant wins his case, he would stand to gain another year of money-making control and power. He would gain a year of his prime as a free agent, making an eight or 10-year mega deal even more of a probability for the slugger.

As one of the best all-around players in the game, the former NL MVP would no doubt command upwards of $250 million if unleashed on the open market in the fall of 2020. Whether it’s a new contract with the Cubs or some other suitor in free agency, Bryant would be a huge winner if the case goes his way.