It seems only logical that we should engage in discussion on the topic of one Kris Bryant

[A Boy Named Seo]

Lunchbucket mentioned him another thread, and the last couple of days have yielded reports claiming that the Mets have talked to the Cubs about Bryant, with the Cubs seemingly eager to shed his salary.



I mean, why the hell not, right? Well, he's 29, set to make $18.6M this year and a FA the next. He has a world of talent but a bunch of injuries lately. If the deal is right, I could fancy him as a one-year rental.

[bmfc1]

The Cubs are rebuilding (I don't know why as they have the fans, their own network, and play in a shrine) and Kris Bryant is on the market.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kris-bryant/15429/stats?position=3Bhttps://www.fangraphs.com/players/kris-bryant/15429/stats?position=3B

He's only 1 season removed from a 4.8 WAR. His 2020 was very bad but it was for a lot of us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Bryanthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Bryant

This is a good overview of his career with an oddly specific (for Wiki) note at the end of the 2020 paragraph.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kris-bryant-592178?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlbhttps://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kris-bryant-592178?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlb

I think that this shows that he is a "meh" fielder.



Bigger minds than mine have to decide if he's still "got it" or if he's on a downward slope. I wonder if he'd merely provide the same numbers as JD at a much higher cost (which could impede spending elsewhere).

[Benjamin Grimm]

https://www.nj.com/yankees/2021/01/mlb-rumors-mets-turn-to-ex-mvp-as-plan-c-after-whiffing-on-yankees-dj-lemahieu-blue-jays-george-springer.htmlMets turn to ex-MVP as Plan C after whiffing on Yankees' DJ LeMahieu, Blue Jays' George Springer

[bmfc1]

"whiffing"

I'm sure that Steve and Sandy would describe it differently.

[Edgy MD]

I would too.



I assume Bryant would be the team's primary thirdbaseman, with maybe a few cameos in the outfield.



He's probably still a good bet to be an upgrade from J.D. Davis, even after a crappy 2020. You think Davis would be part of the package?

[MFS62]

He would have to be. They are running out of spots for him, especially since the Players Union announced they are against the DH (in the NL this year).

Later

[A Boy Named Seo]

First, these rumors don't sound like anything but one dude guessing.



That said, I almost like the idea of Bryant more than the other dudes. He's on the right side of 30, former MVP, could come cheap(er) than you'd expect with his recent injury history. He fills what I think is a real need (RH bat, competent fielder at 3B + OF). And he's only got a year left.



A full return to the real Kris Bryant makes the Mets lineup insanely good and deep and they have to figure out if/how to re-sign him. And if he falls flat, he's probably JD Davis anyway and see ya.

[kcmets]

If taking on the salary dump is the major part of the trade, why not? I wouldn't

want to ship off too many youngins as well.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe, maybe not. (On Davis being included.) The Mets might want to keep Davis for depth. Jared said that he thinks it's important to have depth and redundancy. (Jared is gone, I've heard, but that may still be the organization's philosophy.)



So maybe Davis for Bryant. Or it might be Familia or Betances or Matz. (I say this not having any idea what the Cubs' needs are. I just know that each of the three makes a lot less than Bryant will.)

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

The issue may also be the best deal we can make for JDD, if we're prepared to move him to improve still.



There's online speculation he could go to Milwaukee in a deal for Cain, parhaps, guy on Twitter imagines, with familia and getting back pretend deGrom LHRP Josh "Black and gay" Hader.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: The issue may also be the best deal we can make for JDD, if we're prepared to move him to improve still. There's online speculation he could go to Milwaukee in a deal for Cain, parhaps, guy on Twitter imagines, with familia and getting back pretend deGrom LHRP Josh "Black and gay" Hader.

That's a spicy scoop!

[A Boy Named Seo]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Maybe, maybe not. (On Davis being included.) The Mets might want to keep Davis for depth. Jared said that he thinks it's important to have depth and redundancy. (Jared is gone, I've heard, but that may still be the organization's philosophy.) So maybe Davis for Bryant. Or it might be Familia or Betances or Matz. (I say this not having any idea what the Cubs' needs are. I just know that each of the three makes a lot less than Bryant will.)

I read somewhere that said Jed Hoyer thought the Cubs had their longtime, championship core and it didn't really come to fruition, and they since couldn't sign guys like Bryant to extensions anyway, so they want to re-load with younger, cheaper dudes. I know it's not apples for apples, but they did take on the salary of an expiring contract in the Darvish trade (Zach Davies, ~$8M) along with 4 really young kids, so maybe some combo of JD Davis, Steven Matz and two barely legals gets it done. I wish we could convince them that Familia is AWESOME and they want him, too.



I feel like Bryant's floor is JD Davis (and they play the same positions), so I'm kinda into it.

[Edgy MD]

Sheesh, bringing in Hader and Bauer in one fell swoop would really be going all-in on Operation Douchebag.

[TransMonk]

Edgy MD wrote: Sheesh, bringing in Hader and Bauer in one fell swoop would really be going all-in on Operation Douchebag.

Ugh.

[Lefty Specialist]

Run, don't walk, away from the aptly-named Hader.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Man, I was thinking about young Hader, tweeting stupid shit and hoping people give him a little leeway for growth and that. Then I looked up his old tweets and they're pretty fucked up. Whatever team employs him, I hope he's grown up and learned a few things.

[Centerfield]

Fuck Hader.



Let's go get Bryant. What does it cost us realistically?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Davis and a shit prospect is where I start. Cubs wanna save the $$? Then save the $$

[Benjamin Grimm]

I would start with Familia or Matz plus the shit prospect.

[Centerfield]

Might be the only big fish left to be had.

[Edgy MD]

Nah, the big fish is a trout.

[LWFS]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Davis and a shit prospect is where I start. Cubs wanna save the $$? Then save the $$

Davis and a shit prospect sounds good. You want a prospect prospect? Throw in Hendricks.



Then we sign Almora for 4th OF, and we've got a Cub Alumni Club to go along with our Clevelander one.

[Centerfield]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Davis and a shit prospect is where I start. Cubs wanna save the $$? Then save the $$ Davis and a shit prospect sounds good. You want a prospect prospect? Throw in Hendricks. Then we sign Almora for 4th OF, and we've got a Cub Alumni Club to go along with our Clevelander one.

This would make me happy.

[MFS62]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Davis and a shit prospect is where I start. Cubs wanna save the $$? Then save the $$ Davis and a shit prospect sounds good. You want a prospect prospect? Throw in Hendricks. Then we sign Almora for 4th OF, and we've got a Cub Alumni Club to go along with our Clevelander one.

SNY mentions an alternative pair:

https://sports.yahoo.com/why-mets-could-better-off-215435044.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/why-mets-could-better-off-215435044.html

Or the Mets can turn to the Cincinnati Reds and try to kill two birds with one stone by trading for Sonny Gray and Eugenio Suarez.

Don't know what they would have to give up, but Suarez is making $15 million and if Cincy is looking for a salary dump, Gray will be making $12 million. Davis (Who would probably be in that trade) just got $2.1 million. what else ???

Later

[whippoorwill]

😖

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm into this Bryant and Hendricks deal. I'll even throw in Miguel Castro and Jordan Yamamoto to make it happen.

[LWFS]

Lucchesi's cheap, right? Throw him in, too.



Then sign Paxton for depth. BOOMROASTED

[Benjamin Grimm]

Probably time to revive this thread, as there's been recent buzz, both inside and outside this forum.



JD Davis is active again. Think the Cubs would bite?

[Edgy MD]

Davis had only 50 plate appearances back in Apoo, but man, did he hit the piss out of the ball. When everybody else in the lineup was making wind, it was the Brandon and J.D. Show.



It'll be interesting to see if he's got any of that left. If he does, it's certainly debatable how much of an upgrade Bryant is over Davis and Villar.

[bmfc1]

He left last night's game mid-game which lead to much excitement on Twitter but it was due to "right hamstring fatigue". Maybe he heard that he was going to the Mets and felt that he needed to be injured to fit in.