Kris Bryant Trade Rumors

[Eye Black]

There is some vague speculation that Kris Bryant could be traded very soon.

 

Via Bleacher Nation, There is “Industry Chatter” That Kris Bryant Could Be Traded “As Soon As This Weekend”

 

Here is more from SNY’s Andy Martino, Mets and Cubs’ Kris Bryant trade talks ended weeks ago; Bryant could soon be dealt elsewhere

[nate82]

I think the Nationals make the most sense here. Even with them signing Schwarber they still have a hole at 3B which Bryant would fill for them. The Nationals have already been connected with Bryant earlier in the off season but I don't think the return is going to be all that great for the Cubs in this trade if the Cubs are not taking on part of Bryant's salary.

 

If I am the Mets or the Blue Jays I am looking at Suarez first before Bryant. I believe teams are not sold on Bryant being healthy or if he can be the player he was in 2017-2018. Bryant is probably more along the lines of what he was in 2019 than what he was earlier in his career. It is hard to find the market for Bryant as his value is unknown right now as he just has a lot of question marks around him.

 

I think the Cubs will only get low level prospects for Bryant and it will be far less than what they got in return in trading Darvish.

[pacopete4]

I wish we would do this. Talk about filling a hole in our team.

[sveumrules]

If you thought the Darvish & Lindor returns were underwhelming, wait until you see the Bryant return.

[Eye Black]

Via Jon Heyman this afternoon:

 

Cubs continue to listen to offers for Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras. Angels make sense as possibility for Contreras due to Joe Maddon link as Ken Rosenthal said. Nothing more concrete known yet.

[nate82]

This is going to be a rebuild and I am not sure why the Cubs are not calling it one.

[narwhalattack]

If you thought the Darvish & Lindor returns were underwhelming, wait until you see the Bryant return.

 

I’ll be a bit generous. Let’s offer them two potatoes

[pacopete4]

I get that inter-division trades are tough but the Brewers should be all over this one.

[brewmann04]

I really doubt the Cubs will trade with the Crew.

[JohnBriggs12]

This is going to be a rebuild and I am not sure why the Cubs are not calling it one.

 

The Cubs are cash strapped because they invested a ton in improvement around the park to increase their revenue. Covid came at a bad time especially for them. But in a year or two they'll be big players again in FA, so it wouldn't shock me to see some of the parts they deal off or let go end up back there. I certainly don't see them doing what they did from 2011-2014 again.

[sveumrules]

I certainly don't see them doing what they did from 2011-2014 again.

 

Me neither, I'm hoping it will be more like what they did from 1909-2014.

[DR28]

I really doubt the Cubs will trade with the Crew.

 

Right, I totally agree with this.

[Fear The Chorizo]

After all the development, Wrigley renovations, property acquisitions to construct what is a total Cub fanboy gameday experience around their ballpark, etc., it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see the Cubs be the next MLB team to get sold. I think the Ricketts' ownership group financed a significant amount of construction/development costs based on revenues that just aren't going to be there until COVID is an afterthought, and they may need to sell in order to realize the franchise value gains all their efforts have created because they can't afford to maintain daily operations of that asset with how uncertain gameday revenues will continue to be over the next few seasons.

 

They paid $900 Million for the Cubs, financed roughly $750M in wrigley renovation costs, and have spent/financed north of a billion more with real estate development groups on property surrounding the stadium. That's alot of $$ tossed around in a ~10 year period, much of it financed with debt. I think they're desperate to cut payroll and don't have a ton of concern for the overall management of the onfield product for 2021, because if they don't get their operating balance sheet looking better they're going to be forced to sell a club they were setting up to be a cornerstone of their family's assets. Don't get me wrong - they'd get much more for the Cubs than the overall sum of costs they've spent - it's just the timing of all of these operating cost bills coming due right when the self-sustaining gameday revenue they were expecting from pre-pandemic capacity crowds and stuffed surrounding bars/restaurants/attractions can't happen may have them overleveraged.

[JohnBriggs12]

After all the development, Wrigley renovations, property acquisitions to construct what is a total Cub fanboy gameday experience around their ballpark, etc., it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see the Cubs be the next MLB team to get sold. I think the Ricketts' ownership group financed a significant amount of construction/development costs based on revenues that just aren't going to be there until COVID is an afterthought, and they may need to sell in order to realize the franchise value gains all their efforts have created because they can't afford to maintain daily operations of that asset with how uncertain gameday revenues will continue to be over the next few seasons.

 

They paid $900 Million for the Cubs, financed roughly $750M in wrigley renovation costs, and have spent/financed north of a billion more with real estate development groups on property surrounding the stadium. That's alot of $$ tossed around in a ~10 year period, much of it financed with debt. I think they're desperate to cut payroll and don't have a ton of concern for the overall management of the onfield product for 2021, because if they don't get their operating balance sheet looking better they're going to be forced to sell a club they were setting up to be a cornerstone of their family's assets. Don't get me wrong - they'd get much more for the Cubs than the overall sum of costs they've spent - it's just the timing of all of these operating cost bills coming due right when the self-sustaining gameday revenue they were expecting from pre-pandemic capacity crowds and stuffed surrounding bars/restaurants/attractions can't happen may have them overleveraged.

 

Don't forget they also invested heavily in starting up Marquee Sports Network with little return on that investment to this point.

[homer]

Bryant signed with Cubs

[Warning Track Power]

While certainly extremely unlikely to happen, Kris Bryant really fits all the Brewers needs. He’s signed for 1 year at $19.5m. Understanding the extremely unlikely nature of a trade, what would be fair and what would you be willing to deal to acquire Bryant?

 

In terms of fair, quite frankly I think if the Cubs weren’t in the Brewers division, a Avisail Garcia for Bryant deal might be fair with the Brewers eating the additional $9.5m between the contracts.

[nate82]

While certainly extremely unlikely to happen, Kris Bryant really fits all the Brewers needs. He’s signed for 1 year at $19.5m. Understanding the extremely unlikely nature of a trade, what would be fair and what would you be willing to deal to acquire Bryant?

 

In terms of fair, quite frankly I think if the Cubs weren’t in the Brewers division, a Avisail Garcia for Bryant deal might be fair with the Brewers eating the additional $9.5m between the contracts.

 

Financially for the trade to make sense for the Brewers I think you have to include Garcia in the trade. This makes it more economical for the Brewers but with that the type of prospect coming back to the Cubs will also increase.

 

I think if you are including Garcia you would need to include someone like Small or Kelly and then a lottery ticket like Ward in the trade for Bryant

[markedman5]

No thanks