Cubs Rumors: Blue Jays eyeing both Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks

While it certainly wouldn’t be out of place in this already annoying offseason, any trade involving Kris Bryant and Kyle Hendricks definitely would be signaling that the Cubs are no longer even farcically attempting to win in 2021.

One could make the case that the Chicago Cubs were going another direction with homegrown masher and inconsistent hitter Kyle Schwarber. Somewhere in a really difficult defense attorney’s brain, there might even be a way to spin the Yu Darvish trade as a “sell high” point after the 34-year-old had arguably the best year he’s ever had in the bigs (although what did they get for that high?).

There may even conceivably be room to argue that trading the now oft-injured and expensive Bryant is a shrewd move given the fact that he’ll be a free agent at the end of this season and Scott Boras is his agent.

Even if you could excuse the organization for everything else to this point in your merry little ‘glass half-full’ world, what would be completely indefensible is trading one of the best pitchers in the National League on a team-friendly extension in his prime. Not to mention the fact that you can’t really argue that Hendricks is losing velocity, because velocity matters as much to him as it does the Starship Enterprise.

I’d like to believe this particular possibility is a sham and the latest in a rumor-milled inspired hot-stove season that could send the Cubs into a fire sale spiral ending with no Javier Baez or Willson Contreras is a joke. I’ve also been alive this offseason and have half a brain. With that being said, let’s discuss why the Cubs might partner with the Jays and what they might be looking for in return.