Chicago Cubs: Latest Kris Bryant trade rumors are laugh out loud funny

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It remains no secret to most every baseball fan with a pulse the rumors surrounding Kris Bryant and his future with the Chicago Cubs. As the chatter grows, one east coast sports media figure came to the table with his idea of a deal centered around the former MVP and, boy, is it bad.

Say it with me: the Cubs should not trade Kris Bryant, the Cubs should not trade Kris Bryant, the Cubs should not trade Kris Bryant. Like Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ maybe just maybe if we say that phrase three times and click our heels together, it is likely to come true.

Theo Epstein and the Cubs all of a sudden find themselves in a strange vortex, like an asteroid off course with no control, hurtling towards the sun. Financially the team is in complete disarray. Owner Tom Ricketts continues to preach to the notion that the Cubs have no money. In what became a second straight year with a robust free-agent class, Chicago has sat idly by, doing very little to this point.

Rumors have abounded now for weeks at the future of the club’s core. Most notably, it has encapsulated Bryant like the earth revolving around the sun. Trade talks have been aplenty, and while specific teams make sense as a trade partner for Bryant’s services, the latest and greatest offer is hilariously lousy.

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant to the Phillies for what?

Many fans have their predispositions on the value of Bryant and what teams are willing to offer the Cubs for the former Rookie of the Year and NL MVP. Many organizations such as the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers have circled into the loop as possible landing spots for Bryant.

The Philadelphia Phillies are also a team jumping into the fray. While there is a camp which probably believes the Phillies offer upside in a deal, the most recent offer which just came hot off the press is seemingly unrealistic.

In this specific offer, the Cubs would send Bryant to the City of Brotherly Love in exchange for the Phillies’ top overall prospect third baseman Alec Bohm, starting pitcher Zach Eflin, shortstop Jean Segura, and catching prospect Rafael Marchan.

It also suggests the stipulation the Phillies will pay down part of Segura’s current $70 million contract. Let’s jump into the brass tacks of the deal and why it is subpar at best.

Chicago Cubs: The staple of the deal

Don’t get me wrong; I really like Bohm. The former third overall pick in the 2018 MLB amateur draft obliterated the minors this year, rising from Class-A to Double-A in just one calendar season. At the start of his 2019 campaign, Bohm played in only 22 games at Lakewood before getting called up to Class-A Advanced Clearwater.

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Bohm slashed .367/.441/.595 in that span with three home runs and a 194 wRC+. His walk rate was impressive at 12.9 percent, and Bohm did an excellent job managing his strikeouts. He then arrived at Clearwater, where he slashed .329/.395/.506 with four home runs and a 165 wRC+.

Finishing the final 63 games of the season at Double-A Reading, Bohm saw an increase in power, smashing 14 long balls, and maintained a respectable .269/.344/.500 line with a 146 wRC+. Bohm did see a small bump in his strikeout rate, however, did an excellent job limiting that category. The 23-year-old also jumped his walk rate back into double digits.

Unfortunately, the projections for Bohm’s future value fail to parallel to that of Bryant’s when he first came up through the pipeline. He is projected to be a weaker version of Bryant, which already spells trouble on the trade front. In 2013-14 when Bryant was working his way through the system, he was so far ahead of where Bohm is now that it makes little sense as to why the Cubs would offer Bryant and receive an inferior version of himself. Easy pass.

Chicago Cubs: Addressing two areas of need

Included in the aforementioned trade proposal between the Phillies and the Cubs are two veterans: Zach Eflin and Jean Segura. On paper, it addresses two areas of need for the club, starting pitching and the infield.

Expecting the intent for Philadelphia to pay down a good chunk of Segura’s salary is the only way including him into the conversation makes sense. Segura is 30 years old and is in the midst of a five-year, $70 million deal. His average annual value is $14.25 million through 2022.

For a team that has done nothing of value this offseason and who has no money, it seems silly to think the Cubs would take on any contract at this point. Whether or not it is a significant payoff is relative. Outside of that, the Cubs have Nico Hoerner and Aramis Ademan waiting in the wings. Segura would provide that “immediate” value, however, Hoerner will be playing a majority of the year with the major league club, so it renders the whole thing moot.

Eflin, meanwhile, is still only 25 years old and has four seasons of major league ball under his belt. Outside of that, however, Eflin has been about as mediocre as they come. The right-hander has yet to crack the sub-4.00 ERA category. If that wasn’t scary enough, Eflins strikeout rate dropped by about four percent.

The obvious factor for Eflin is Citizen’s Bank. Last season the park was ranked seventh overall in park factors, with an average of 1.17 home runs hit per game. The other thing going against Eflin was his 16 percent HR/FB ration. No thank you.

Chicago Cubs: Catching prospect thrown into the mix

The final prospect the Phillies would be sending over is a 20-year-old catching prospect, Rafael Marchan. The argument for including Marchan rests solely based on Willson Contreras not returning for the long-term.

Understandably, again, it makes sense on paper. The Cubs do have three catching prospects in their top 30, currently. On top of the three current is Jhonny Pereda, who should crack the list next season.

Marchan signed with the Phillies in 2016 and found success at rookie ball his first season. Marchan carried an impressive .333/.380/.386 with 34 RBI and six stolen bases. From 2017 on, Marchan has been inconsistent. He struggled to a 72 wRC+ in his second season. However, the 20-year-old posted a 110 and 105 wRC+ in Low-A and Class-A, respectively.

This season Marchan struggled at Class-A Advanced to a .231/.291/.282 line posting a 73 wRC+. While his age is enticing, Marchan is not better than who the Cubs currently have in their system.

Chicago Cubs: Keeping Bryant in blue

Reading through the offer, there were some enticing things about this offer for Bryant, however overall it was so far below the threshold that it could not be taken seriously. Bryant is about a 5.5 WAR player on average. Investing in talent below Bryant’s medium is silly and not constructive for the team.I understand much of the trade value lies with his contractual issues.

Assumedly I would think it is based solely on that and whether the Phillies were able to sign Bryant to an extension, but come on, its clear cut Bryant is better solely by himself than the entire package combined. It also centers around the club’s need to cut money, which I also understand.

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The Braves, Dodgers and Nationals are the three serious “contenders” for Bryant’s services, in my opinion. What that looks like in the current state of the offseason is anyone’s best guess. Concerning the Phillies, outside of the contract challenges and saving money, it is not quite enticing enough.

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