Deadline Possibilities: Kris Bryant

One of the biggest names available on the market today, sitting right there with Max Scherzer, is Kris Bryant. The 29 year old third baseman/outfielder has become available after a sudden downturn in the Cubs season, which included an 11 game losing streak. So, in his final year under team control, the Cubs have opted to move him, and it would be a shock to the baseball world if he remained in a Cubs uniform beyond the trade deadline.

Bryant has gone through some ups and downs over the course of his career. He won the rookie of the year award in 2015, and followed that up with his MVP award winning campaign in 2016. He was a two time all star by the age of 24, and seemed to be on top of the league. In 2017 he took a step back, and missed out on the all-star game after a dry first half. Although still a big time player, it was a noticeable recession, and a concern. This decline continued into his 2018 season, where his numbers took a very noticeable dip. He hit for a career low (at the time) in OPS, batting average, and slugging percentage (by a significant margin). As well, he only hit 13 home runs in 102 games, compared to his 39 home runs in his MVP campaign. Red flags started shooting up left and right.

In 2019 he began to right the ship, hitting 31 home runs with the slash line of .282/.382/.521. Not MVP type production, but enough to get him back to the all-star game for the third time. He impressed many, and seemed to be back on the route to stardom… Until 2020.

Bryant is known as a slow starter, but the 60 game 2020 season signalled much worse issues. Across 131 at-bats he only managed to maintain a .206 batting average with 4 home runs and 11 RBI. After declining a $200 million extension by the Cubs in the offseason, it seemed Bryant’s time with the Cubs might be finished. He was nearly non-tendered in the offseason, and was viewed as a non-tradeable liability. Although, as the trend has shown, he has bounced back in 2021. It doesn’t get much more up and down than Bryant, who is now once again an all-star, this being the fourth of his career.

Bryant started the season red hot, firing on all cylinders coming out of the gate. His production has since slowed, but his numbers still look very impressive. On the season he is slashing .269/.359/.508 with 18 home runs. His defense is still in question, but the offense he provides would be a huge add for any ballclub, nevermind an offensive powerhouse like the Blue Jays. After the early season struggles from Cavan Biggio, the Jays have reportedly been looking for a third baseman, and have kicked the tires on Bryant. It is unknown how serious they are about a move here, but discussions have been held. Whether or not they make a run at him likely all depends on price. Atkins and co. aren’t well known for acquiring rentals, nevermind pricey ones like the former MVP winner, but this is the first contention year of the rebuild, so one can’t know for sure what the front office might be up to, especially if they feel they can get a reasonable extension done.

The asking price at the moment reportedly starts with Austin Martin, or Orelvis Martinez. Should this price remain, it is safe to say the Blue Jays will be out, but with teams quickly being turned away (ie. Giants after being asked for C Joey Bart), the price could be lowered very soon, making this trade a serious possibility.