Chicago Cubs: Looking at the 3 likeliest teams to sign Kris Bryant

Chicago Cubs: 3 likeliest teams to sign Kris Bryant – #2: San Francisco Giants

I know we heard the Giants were all that blown away by Bryant after they acquired him and have concerns over his aging gracefully, but the simple fact is this: they have a roster that’s still largely build around a core of aging veterans and the clock is ticking..

Bringing Bryant back as a cog in that next great San Francisco team makes sense. Brandon Belt is returning in 2022 after accepting the club’s $18.9 million qualifying offer, Brandon Crawford is locked up long-term and Evan Longoria will make just a tick under $20 million next year before the Giants almost undoubtedly decline their 2023 team option given he’ll be 37 years old at the time.

They need youth. They need someone to help replace the offense lost by the retirement of longtime franchise cornerstone Buster Posey. Bryant checks all those boxes – and given the Giants’ large market standing and financial firepower, they’re more than capable of bringing him back if they so choose.

Bryant actually faded a bit after the trade, slashing 262/.344/.444 – but between San Francisco and Chicago, still mustered 3.3 bWAR and a 124 OPS+. Will he get the six-year, $160 million deal predicted by MLBTR? We don’t know yet. But even at that price, the Giants could still definitely make it happen without much consequence.