Nationals Reportedly Spoke to Cubs About Kris Bryant Trade With Anthony Rendon Likely Gone
The Washington Nationals just signed Stephen Strasburg to a mega-deal, which means the days of Anthony Rendon in D.C. are likely over.
With Rendon expected to be on his way out, who could the Cubs bring in to help the offense stay consistent? Well, Nats fans, how does Kris Bryant sound?
Sources: #Nats have inquired to #Cubs about a possible Kris Bryant trade, in the event they fail to re-sign Anthony Rendon. Story: https://t.co/GnC1szhNaw @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 10, 2019
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Nats have reached out to the Cubs about a potential deal for the slugger. This potential trade assumes the Chicago Cubs would want to trade Bryant in the first place. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2015 and came right back in 2016 to win the National League MVP.
There is just one major thing holding up a potential trade. That is Bryant's grievance against the Cubs regarding his service time.
Theo Epstein remains encouraged a decision on Kris Bryant’s grievance against the Cubs will favor the team.
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) December 10, 2019
Such a verdict would allow Cubs to address several needs, including center field, second base and pitching.https://t.co/8LIEjxcJ6o
Bryant believes he should have been up for the entire 2015 season, thus making him a free agent after the 2020 campaign. The Cubs brought him up a bit late in a clear manipulation of service time in order to have him under team control through 2021.
His trade value cannot be defined until the grievance is settled. Once things do get settled, though, it will surely make a monster difference in his trade value. Could Bryant make his way to Washington before next April? We could find out sooner than later.