Cubs Rumors: Could Kris Bryant be headed to the New York Yankees?

Cubs Rumors: Kris Bryant fits the bill for what the Yankees are looking for at third base, could he be headed to the Big Apple?

Another slow off-season, lacking head-turning signings and trades, is coming to a close. Both Spring Training and the regular season are rapidly approaching, leaving little time left for the Chicago Cubs to make any moves. But it’s not too late. Trade rumors are still swirling, and third baseman Kris Bryant has been at the height of them for months.

If it weren’t for his service time grievances going unsolved until the end of January, Bryant probably would have been dealt much earlier this off-season to help address the team’s payroll concerns. However, since his grievances are finally resolved, Bryant is more likely to be traded now more than ever.

After waiting five whole years, former Rookie of the Year, MVP, and World Series champion Kris Bryant has finally received a ruling on his service time grievances.

In 2015, the Major League Baseball Player Association encouraged Bryant to file these grievances because the Cubs’ unnecessarily kept him in the minors to gather extra years of control. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and as predicted, the ruling was in favor of the team because not only was this hard to prove, but it has also been a common practice among the major leagues for years.

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As a result of this ruling, Bryant will be granted free agency in 2021. It should be noted that if the decision were in Bryant’s favor, he could have entered free agency this winter. This extra year with the Cubs makes his trade value higher, and seeing Bryant go to another team this offseason wouldn’t be surprising. The question remains: what organizations could make this trade happen, especially at this point in the offseason?

Many have speculated teams such as the Dodgers or the Rockies, possibly being part of a blockbuster trade like this. The Dodgers haven’t been active this offseason and have been connected to different trade rumors, so why wouldn’t they consider trading for Bryant? And let’s be real, a package that would swap Bryant for Nolan Arenado would take the baseball world by storm.

With that being said, many other teams could realistically trade for Bryant that hasn’t been as widely discussed. One of those teams is the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees absolutely crushed the beginning of the offseason when they went out and signed superstar Gerrit Cole. Yet, since then they have been quiet. While they don’t need to make a trade, if they are looking to improve any area of their lineup, it should be third base.

The bottom line is that the Yankees don’t have a long term, reliable third baseman. However, Kris Bryant could change that. CBS Sports put it perfectly when they named the Yankees one of the Cubs most likely trade partners. CBS Sports writer Matt Synder said,

"“Bryant is an upgrade over Gio Urshela at third base. Bryant’s addition would allow Urshela to thrive in a utility bench role. Maybe as part of the package the Cubs take Miguel Andujar and hope he’s more 2018 than 2019.”“Bryant is an upgrade over Gio Urshela at third base. Bryant’s addition would allow Urshela to thrive in a utility bench role. Maybe as part of the package the Cubs take Miguel Andujar and hope he’s more 2018 than 2019.”"

dark. Next. How would the team be impacted by a DH rule change?

This sort of deal could be a no brainer for the Yankees, but of course, they would have to make it worthwhile for the Cubs. Maybe a package containing a third baseman and a starting pitcher would be enough to get the trade talks started with how this unpredictable offseason it is going, anything is possible.

Editors note: Boston’s Mookie Betts got traded in the evening (2/4) to the LA Dodgers, making Kris Bryant one of the top candidates for a trade.

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