As we sit here at the MLB All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs are 8 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. After a dismal stretch from late June to early July, the Cubs now find themselves in a position to be sellers at the trade deadline.
And with that come questions about the future of players like Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel. Already we have heard that Kimbrel will likely be a coveted asset for many teams. But what about Bryant?
The 29-year-old has been solid all season long, bouncing-back from a disappointing 2020 shortened campaign. And one can argue that Bryant has been the teams most valuable player this season due to his ability to play multiple positions including outfield. Bryant will be a hot name on the trade market despite his contract expiring at the end of the season, and a contender with a need for an infield or outfield piece could come calling.
One of those teams could be the NL East leading New York Mets who are a potential landing spot for Bryant per ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers who appeared on ESPN 1000 live from Denver this morning:
“That’s the team I keep hearing about. If the Mets give Jed what he’s looking for, he’ll trade [Bryant] there. But I think he might end up [staying in Chicago], get the qualifying offer, turn it down, and the Cubs will take that compensatory draft pick instead of some dreck they’re gonna get back in a trade.”
We should note that Rogers also mentions that Jed Hoyer could be asking for a big package from teams to acquire Bryant. He also stated that he doesn’t believe Hoyer will get what he’s looking for and that not only will Bryant be on the team August 1st but so will Rizzo and Baez.
Wow.
“This is based on the last few days of being here and talking to people in the game,” Rogers said on ESPN 1000. “It’s not gonna be that easy to get back what Jed Hoyer wants [for] the position players. My new prediction is: Báez, Rizzo, and Bryant are on this team on August 1.”
Already there has been a report by The Athletic that the Cubs have begun the process of listening to offers as they are now sellers ahead of the deadline. But to have that trio back after July 30th means that Hoyer knows what price he wants for each and it’s pretty steep.
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