There is nothing like sitting here in mid-December, watching six to eight inches of snowfall outside of my upstate New York home, to make a person long for baseball. So with a nod to the classic, now newly revived TV game show, To Tell the Truth, we will look at players who have not posted the kind of numbers that fantasy owners have expected from them over the past couple of years. For our first choice, not necessarily in any particular order, we will look at Chicago Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant.
At first thought, someone might say “what is wrong with Kris Bryant?” Fair question but let’s take a look at the numbers. In 2016, during his MVP and World Series win year, Bryant had 121 Runs, 176 Hits, 102 RBI, 39 HRs, with a .292 average. Now fast forward to 2019 (we are tossing out 2018 as he had a shoulder injury) he posted numbers of 108 Runs, 153 Hits, 77 RBI, 31 HRs, and a .282 average. True, this is not a horrible dropoff, but a player who is 27 years old should be posting similar numbers if not better numbers than previous years. So what is the problem? The Cubs and fantasy owners are wondering the same thing, and that is partially why the Cubs have been shopping him around. It has been reported that Cubs feel like the core that brought them a championship in 2016 needs a shake-up and ownership wants to get under the luxury tax threshold. So let’s take a look at some of the reasons for the drop-off and how things could turn around in 2020.
THE DAVID ROSS EFFECT
One of the first articles that I wrote when I started in this industry was one in which I talked about how David Ross retiring would have a negative impact on most of the Cubs players, due to his strong leadership abilities. In the past three seasons, most can agree that the many of the Cubs players have underachieved. Joe Maddon is an excellent manager and a great technician, but his leadership style is more of “frat dad” and the recent edition of the Cubs has reflected that. The Cubs brass felt players took advantage of Maddon’s no-rules clubhouse and that was part of the impetus behind the managerial change. The Cubs parted ways with Maddon and hired David Ross as the manager, hoping to find what the Yankees found, that is a respected former player with no managerial experience can bring out the best in their teams. It is conceivable that Ross returning and providing leadership and accountability, can lead Bryant to post numbers similar to 2015 and 2016. Another thing that Ross could do is eliminate the “Chicago Fan Love Affair” that happens when players win championships and their commercial appeal becomes a bit of a distraction to the players. Could this have happened to Bryant? Possibly. Ross could do what Aaron Boone did for the Yankees, who did allow his players to have fun but not lose focus of the business at hand. Ross said in an interview last week that he’s already chatted with several players on the roster about the need for leadership and accountability inside the clubhouse.
RECENT TRADE TALKS
As stated before, the Cubs have had talks to other teams about moving Bryant. The Phillies have been one of the teams, and Bryant’s good buddy Bryce Harper would love to see him there. Playing with your best friend, who is also one of the better players in the game, could boost Bryant. The Phillies have the financial flexibility to sign Bryant long-term to pair with Bryce Harper, Didi Gregorious and J.T Realmuto for a long time to come.
Another possible location could be with the newly crowned World Champion Washington Nationals. The Nats are in need of a third baseman and Bryant would fit the bill. He would fit in well with that lineup but the Cubs asking price might be too high. (reportedly the price includes Victor Robles)
The Braves are another option, favoring Bryant over the 34-year-old Josh Donaldson, who could also end up in Washington. The Braves have young pitching which the Cubs would love. Atlanta may not have the launching pad of old, but Bryant would find hitting there to his liking.
IS THE SHOULDER STILL BOTHERING HIM?
In 2018, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said at his end-of-season press conference at Wrigley Field, “that this is someone that will put in the work necessary — physically, fundamentally, mentally, all phases — to have a monster year next year with what he learned this year.” Well, that “Monster” season did not happen and one could wonder if there were some lingering effects to the shoulder. He told people throughout 2019 that the shoulder was healed so we are left to wonder.
Full Disclaimer: I am a Cubs fan, and I also own Bryant in some of my leagues. I would love to see him remain in Chicago to see what David Ross could do for him and the team. But whatever happens, I and other fantasy owners would love to see the 2016 edition of Kris Bryant return.
Leave a Reply
Friends don't let friends talk to themselves.
You must be logged in to post a comment.