According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a deal that would send 2016 MVP Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants.
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Bryant, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Cubs in the 2013 draft, is in the last year of club control and will be a free agent if not extended by the Giants. The four-time All-Star is currently slashing .266/.353/.500 with an OPS of .853. He also has 17 home runs and 50 RBI on the season. Bryant was a big part of the Cubs’ core and was able to break a 108-year curse in 2016 when he led the Cubs over the Cleveland Indians in a classic seven-game World Series.
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In Bryant’s MVP season, he slashed .292/.385/.554 with an OPS of .939. He also slugged 39 home runs with 102 RBI. At age 29, Bryant will be looking for his first and probably only big contract as he is set to hit the open market for the first time.
This move signals the end of the core that brought the Cubs the World Series in 2016 as Anthony Rizzo was traded to the Yankees and Javier Baez was dealt the Mets.
The Return
The Giants will be sending over right-hander Caleb Kilian and outfielder Alexander Canario. On the season, Killian has a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings with a WHIP of 0.46. Canario is currently slashing .235/.325/.433 with an OPS of .849. He has added nine home runs and 29 RBI.
While Bryant’s numbers have steadily declined throughout his career, his impact is undeniable. His excellent bat and winning pedigree is exactly what a team like the Giants will need as they continue their surprise playoff push. For the Cubs, it may be hard to say goodbye to the core players that broke the curse, but they were not willing to keep that core intact and will probably look to start a rebuild.
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