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Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant trade with San Diego Padres could work
I still think it’s a long shot the Chicago Cubs actually trade Kris Bryant this offseason, but if they do, the San Diego Padres could make sense.
If I were a betting man, I’d put money on Kris Bryant being in the Opening Day lineup for first-year manager David Ross next March. Why? I don’t think any organization values Bryant the same way the Chicago Cubs do and for that reason alone, I think trading him (and his two remaining seasons of team control) is difficult.
That being said, there have been plenty of trades over the years that no one saw coming. So, in the interest of leaving no stone unturned, let’s talk about a hypothetical Bryant trade.
Part of my daily ritual on the train ride into the city is catching up on the latest from MLB Trade Rumors. This morning, a report from the San Diego Tribune-Review caught my eye – the San Diego Padres are reportedly willing to package prospects in order to improve the big league club this offseason.
Now that’s not a big shock to anyone who’s paid attention to the Padres of late. But given Bryant played college ball at San Diego State and the Cubs’ chances of extending him seem somewhat tenuous at this point, could this be the move that helps the team prolong its competitive window?
Chicago Cubs could help Padres get over the top
The team’s desire to add impact players makes a lot of sense. San Diego underperformed in the first year of the Manny Machado era and after shelling out stupid money for Machado and former Kansas City Royals standout Eric Hosmer in back-to-back offseasons, winning is quickly becoming a mandate.
“Why wouldn’t I be candid? We sucked,” Padres owner Ron Fowler said after the season ended. “… It was a cathartic process to just sit down and say it was the worst 2½ months of ownership for me. It was embarrassing for me. We sucked. There were some days, quite honestly, I didn’t want to get out of bed.”
San Diego headed into the All-Star Break at 45-45. From there, the Friars played what can only be called uninspired ball, winning just 25 of their final 72 games en route to a last-place finish in the National League West.
So the club heads into the offseason staring up at the likes of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, who won yet another NL West crown in 2019 wondering what it’ll take to get over the top. While the team has a need for an impact arm (similar to the Cubs) – adding Bryant to a lineup already dripping with potential and promise is intriguing, to say the least.
Chicago Cubs: A full-time move to the outfield
The only way Bryant fits into the Padres’ lineup would be if he played the outfield on a daily basis. Of course, San Diego has Machado anchored in at the hot corner – but imagine what San Diego could trot out on a daily basis with the former NL MVP in tow.
If Preller could manage to get out from under at least part of Wil Myers‘ contract and add Bryant to the mix, the team would feature Fernando Tatis Jr., Hosmer, Machado and Hunter Renfroe on a daily basis. Needless to say, that’s not a matchup any pitcher will look forward to next season.
San Diego currently boasts the best farm system in all of baseball. We know that Theo Epstein isn’t just looking at 2020 when he’s formulating his offseason plan. He wants to extend the team’s current competitive window – and adding impact talent from the game’s best minor league system is a good way to do that.
Next. What if Castellanos joins the White Sox?. dark
Chicago has needs all over the pitching staff, at second base and in center field. It just so happens that some of the Padres’ best youngsters could help address these spots. If not Bryant, someone like Willson Contreras could help bolster San Diego as they look to finally get over the hump in 2020 and reach the postseason for the first time since 2006.