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Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant in ‘good place’ says Jed Hoyer
We are officially one week from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and it appears the Chicago Cubs trade rumors have quieted down for now. Kris Bryant has been at the center of these reports all offseason, but he will head into camp as the team’s third baseman.
Like most people, Bryant probably wants to leave 2020 in his rearview mirror. The former MVP battled injuries and slashed a career-worst .206/.293/.351 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 34 games.
Bryant recently spoke out on his struggles and the trade rumors, explaining the game was not as “fun” as it used to be.
I think many people took this the wrong way, but the reality is Bryant speaking the truth about things that affected him off the field. It’s not to say he can’t find that same passion.
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is in a ‘good place’ heading into the 2021 season.
Cubs President Jed Hoyer spoke with Bryant, and explained via teleconference on Monday, there are no concerns about his third baseman.
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“I’ll keep the substance between us, but it was a great, great conversation,” Hoyer said. “Great tone. I just felt like he was in a really good place. I think sometimes with Kris, I think he was very honest. I don’t think he was saying he didn’t love baseball, you know? It was just sort of an honest comment. Seems like he’s excited to get going, get the season started. Not a concern here at all.”
For all the individuals calling for a Bryant trade this offseason, you need to take a step back and think about what you’re saying.
His value could not be any lower than it is coming off a poor 2020 season, in addition to being a one-year rental for teams. The Cubs would not get any high-value return for Bryant right now.
If Hoyer and the Cubs plan on trading Bryant, it will happen at the deadline if this team falls out of contention. At that point, Bryant will likely post better numbers than he did last summer, and contending teams will take a risk for the playoff race.
Cubs know they have to make moves with the future in mind
Even if Bryant does return to his MVP-level this season, the trade rumors will still be there depending on where the Cubs stand as a National League contender.
“Like I said, it’s part of the game. It’s not going away,” Hoyer said. “And it’s also part of trying to explain to them, ‘As long as you’re playing for a big-market team like this, there’s going to be rumors. There’s no way around it, so you’re going to have to deal with some of that.’ ”
If there is an opportunity between now and the end of this season, I would extend the likes of Bryant, Baez and Rizzo before they hit the free agent market. I would rather take the gamble of doing it now. Assuming they all have solid 2021 seasons, they will cost a lot more in the next offseason with other teams bidding.
It’s easy as a Cub fan to get upset when players like Bryant aren’t performing at the MVP-level we have seen before. That being said, bad seasons happen, and Bryant has too much upside to be written off.
Next. Cubs expect more from remaining core players. dark
It wasn’t long ago when Ian Stewart and Mike Olt were our third basemen. This franchise has arguably seen more success in the past six consecutive seasons than in the previous 70 years combined.
Let’s not forget who played a large role in that success: Kris Bryant.