Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant is ready to put the drama behind him

Chicago Cubs: There are no hard feelings on Bryant’s part

Baseball is a business and Kris Bryant understands this.

He lost his service time grievance. The Cubs were able to manipulate his service time by postponing his MLB call-up date in 2015 so he becomes a free agent after the 2021 season instead of the 2020 season, potentially affecting his earning power when he does become a free agent.

Despite all of this, Bryant wanted to make it crystal clear (via The Athletic – subscription required) that there aren’t any hard feelings between him and the Chicago Cubs organization.

“The only person whose opinion matters here is mine,” Bryant said. “Right here in front of the microphone, I’m telling you guys there’s no hard feelings whatsoever. I completely respect this organization and everything they’ve done for me and my family. They’ve given me an opportunity to play the game that I love every single day.”

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Throughout the offseason, rumors circulated that Bryant was unhappy with the Cubs about the grievance situation. Perhaps these rumors helped fuel the persistent trade rumors that stole the headlines of the Cubs’ offseason.

The Colorado Rockies emerged as the most popular trade destination for Bryant with rumors still popping up as recently as Thursday regarding a potential Nolan Arenado- Kris Bryant blockbuster. However, the hot stove has seemingly cooled and for now Bryant is preparing for the 2020 season as if he’ll be a member of the Cubs.

A Bryant trade was sketchy all along. The former National League MVP said he isn’t plugged into Twitter and Instagram, but he was bothered by the unsubstantiated rumors especially the ones claiming he wanted out of Chicago and that he turned down an extension worth northward of $200 million.

“I’ve always had the stance that, yes, I want to play here. I love the city,” Bryant said. “The biggest thing with the trade rumors that have disappointed me is I feel like people, not everybody, but the main reasoning behind it is: Let’s get rid of him now because he doesn’t want to be here in two years. He turned down this monster extension ‘well north of $200 million.’ And I’m like, ‘Where was that? I never saw that.’”

Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant was openly critical of the Houston Astros

Kris Bryant came down hard on the Houston Astros which was mildly surprising given he’s not usually one to publicly criticize.

Per Sports Illustrated’s Jenna West, the normally laid-back Bryant called the scandal “worse than steroids” and said that players’ apologies for it were a “disgrace” and had “no sincerity.” He also said he believes the Astros used buzzers in their uniforms, something MLB didn’t find evidence of in their investigation into the matter.

Bryant’s comments came before Carlos Correa’s interview with Ken Rosenthal dropped. In it, the Astros shortstop said among other things that Houston won the World Series fair and square, Jose Altuve didn’t participate in the trash can-banging scheme and that Altuve didn’t rip off his shirt after homering off of Aroldis Chapman in the American League Championship Series because he had a bad tattoo on his collarbone.

Bryant is the latest big league player to eviscerate the Houston Astros with his words. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the Astros are received at opposing stadiums and how often their players get thrown out next season.

Chicago Cubs third baseman is ready to have a really good season in 2020.

Kris Bryant is ready to play baseball in the Windy City.

He’s ready for not just a good season, but a great one. A redeemer after a 2019 campaign where he battled some nagging issues. He’s ready to put the drama of the 2019 offseason – between the trade rumors and the grievance process – behind him and let his game do the talking.

He has his first child on the way, something he says is giving him new perspective on life in 2020.

Like the cold winter weather, Bryant wants the rumors and drama to slowly go away as he gets ready for a fresh start in the spring. If he makes good on this promise, the Chicago offense could be one of the most formidable in the league.