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You read that right, Kris Bryant is not the third baseman on Opening Day. Now, this is just one person’s opinion but I believe the Chicago Cubs have to trade Bryant even though he wants to stay.
Bryant is one of the best players in the league, there is no doubt about that, but the front office and Bryant have not been on the same page since he was in the minors.
First, it was the controversy about his service time. Before Bryant made his debut he was sent to the minors for about ten days before the Cubs called him up, so that the organization could get an extra year of service time for him.
Of course, Bryant’s camp did not like that and it has led to an arbitrator weighing both sides of the situation (he is expected to make a decision before Spring Training).
Then, it was reported that Kris Bryant rejected a Cubs offer for an extension, which means he is pretty much set on reaching free agency.
And with that said, Bryant should get traded so that the Cubs can get a haul back instead of just a compensation pick. But for a trade to be made they will need to be a little more flexible in terms of their asking price.
I do think Bryant does get traded so in comes David Bote. Bote has power potential but has not really been able to reach that potential because he has been blocked in the infield by Bryant and others. Of course, Chicago Cubs fans remember him from his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.