Kris Bryant is on the trade block this offseason as the Chicago Cubs might want to change things up in David Ross’ first season, so let’s find some fits for him.
Can you imagine the Chicago Cubs trading star third basemen, Kris Bryant, before his best friend David Ross gets to manage him? I personally can’t but Theo Epstein certainly isn’t scared to shake things up so let’s find some suitors for him.
Yes, every team would want a talent like Kris Bryant if it was in free agency but he is still under contract with the Cubs until 2021, so in order of Jed Hoyer and Epstein to pull the trigger, they are going to have to get blown away by an offer that includes close to ready MLB talent, preferably pitching and then a couple of more prospects that should include at least one outfielder.
Bryant has shown that he can play the outfield, which could add some suitors but I think that a prospective team is really going to want Kris Bryant to play his best position which is the hot corner.
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Another factor is there are a lot of third basemen on the free-agent market this winter, so I think that the Cubs might be more willing to trade Bryant if they are confident that they can land Anthony Rendon, Mike Moustakas, or Josh Donaldson.
Without further ado, here are a couple of suitors for Kris Bryant…
Atlanta Braves
I don’t think there is a high possibility that it will happen, but the Braves as of now do not have a solidified third basemen on the roster, as Josh Donaldson is a free agent and he already used the one year deal to establish himself back in the market for a multi-year deal, so he won’t be back unless Atlanta wants to give him a bigger deal.
Austin Riley has shown that he can play left field a little bit in addition to third base, so I think he would be a good fit for the Cubs and would be a cheaper option than Bryant.
The Braves have one of the best farm systems in the game with plenty of arms that they will have to get rid of at some point to trim the 40-man roster, so they would make a good partnership with the Chicago Cubs.
Philadelphia Phillies
I think the Phillies are the better option in terms of the best fit for Kris Bryant. The Phillies have lost trust in Maikel Franco and are sure to want to move on from him at third base, and I think that the Phillies will need more power in their lineup beyond Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins.
The Phillies are going to be under scrutiny from the start of the season if they don’t win in Joe Girardi‘s first year as the manager, so I think they need to add another star while at the same time not breaking the bank again, and Bryant fits the bill.
And I’m sure Bryant’s Las Vegas buddy, Bryce Harper, would be more than happy to welcome Kris Bryant to Philly.