Former Cubs star Kris Bryant gets another ominous sign about his MLB future from Rockies

More than a decade ago, Kris Bryant burst onto the scene with the Chicago Cubs, playing a key role in the team's unexpected run to the NLCS and capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors. For an encore, he brought home the National League MVP award in 2016, helping the team win its first championship in more than a century.

At that point, the future seemed to hold limitless possibilities for Bryant. In 2017, he delivered an impressive 5.7 bWAR campaign, but injuries soon started to become a factor in the equation. Over the next three years, he battled a shoulder issue, knee and ankle sprains, left wrist concerns, an oblique strain and concussion symptoms, among other ailments.

After getting traded to San Francisco at the 2021 trade deadline, Bryant signed a mega contract with the Colorado Rockies - a seven-year, $182 million deal. Almost at once, back and foot ailments severely limited his time on the field and he was ultimately diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease that led to him missing the 2026 season in its entirety.

Cubs fans still love Kris Bryant, while Rockies fans remain frustrated

We've reached the point where the concern for him as a human being and a father to four young children far exceeds questions about his playing career, but if you're the Colorado Rockies, you can't overlook the latter. Unfortunately, for all involved, it's clear the team is expecting nothing from Bryant in the final two years of his deal.

In his end-of-season presser, Rockies president of baseball ops Paul DePodesta spoke frankly when asked about Bryant and what role he might play next year.

“I think we have to continue to move forward from a roster-building standpoint as if we’re not going to have him,” DePodesta said. “And if we do, then that’s a great bonus.”

He went on to say there were no updates on restructuring or deferring the remaining $54 million owed to Bryant through 2028, but it's apparent Colorado is done hoping for any sort of turnaround health-wise from the former first-rounder. The team has lost 100 or more games in each of the last four years and playing in the NL West is doing them no favors.

In Denver, Bryant will never escape the label as the biggest free-agent bust in Rockies history. But there will come a day when KB returns to Chicago, and the Wrigley Field faithful will welcome him with open arms and remember a time when he looked like he was on a trajectory to Cooperstown.

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