Reports last month mentioned Kris Bryant as a potential Nationals trade target, but Washington GM Mike Rizzo rather definitively ruled out a Bryant swap during a session with reporters (including ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers) this afternoon.
“We haven’t had a serious conversation about Kris Bryant in probably two years,” Rizzo said. “He was not a big guy on our radar last year or this year. He’s a great player but at this point and time of where we’re at, and what we have in our farm system, and where we’re going, we think we can allocate our dollars and prospect capital in another way.”
As Rogers noted, it’s something of an “unusual step” for a general manager to so publicly and specifically comment on trade negotiations. It could be that this is some gamesmanship on Rizzo’s part if talks with the Cubs are actually still ongoing, though there’s no real reason to believe Rizzo is being anything but forthright in his comments.
Bryant is, after all, coming off the worst of his six MLB seasons, as he battled injuries throughout 2020 and hit only .206/.293/.351 over 147 plate appearances. While it isn’t hard to imagine Bryant returning to his old form with better health next season and with a more measurable sample size of playing time, counting on such a rebound year might not be a risk that the Nats want to take — especially since Bryant is projected to earn an $18.6MM salary in 2021, his final year of arbitration eligibility.
It isn’t yet known if Washington can fully stretch its payroll this offseason, but there have been indications that the Nationals are able to spend some money, if not something in the neighborhood of $18.6MM to one player for one season. The Nats were connected to Carlos Santana before he signed with the Royals, and the District has also showed interest in a former Bryant teammate in Kyle Schwarber.
Gotta be between Braves and Dodgers. Justin Turner could be Braves 3B for 2021 and then be DH for 2022? Could this be less expensive than Ozuna? Do you expect Ozuna to repeat 2020?
The dodgers would rather have Turner. The Braves if they don’t have to give up very much.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure if they soured on Turner or will re-sign him. I can’t see giving up anything for Bryant with the money owed to him. Maybe a Bryant/Inciarte swap? This is why I’m not a GM in the MLB…
Jt was the Dodger de facto captain for most of his time here. He’s a local kid, went to school here and now won a title. Nothing has soured in LA
Inciarte to the Cubs would make sense. Even though Bryant had a down year, I would assume a prospect would be involved as well though.
Bryant is to expensive. Turner is too expensive and 36 years old. I would rather give Riley another long hard look. Looks like another short season from the scamdemic anyways….
Yeah, I’m thinking along those lines too, but how long is Riley’s leash? What do we have as our backup plan?
@braveslifer. Camargo unfortunately. I was hoping he’d be non tendered. Comes across as lazy.
Yes, lazy or complacent
Volunteer for a week at a hospital, or a funeral home.
I’d be more inclined to re-sign Ozuna than trade for Bryant. Keep Riley at 3B. Ozuna is DEFINITELY not a Gold Glover by ANY means but he is SERVICEABLE in the OF.
Ozuna in the OF not only negates his bat value, but likely leads to him producing less with the wear and tear of playing the field
Quite frankly, any noteworthy prospects aren’t worth it qt this point. Ride this crazy 2021 year out and get him in FA if you really want him. – This goes for anybody, not just the Nats.
Anybody who wants him in FA is gonna have to deal with Boras pushing some lucrative idea.
KB for a bag of balls!
That’s not good enough. I would think a 24 pack of Old Style beer and a case of Vienna polish sausage.
Bryant. One year of a player that had a bad year and you have to give up top prospects. Nobody is interested.
I hope the Cubs hang onto him. Since his value is down, why not give it til midseason? If he’s regained some value, re sign him or trade him then. If he doesn’t improve, at least get the draft pick compensation later. I know there’s a lot of Cub haters on here, but heck, the guy had a serious run from 2015-19. I’d bet on him coming back.
ZERO guarantee he’d turn down a QO…
They will have to keep him. He has no trade value worth his 2021 salary. If he doesn’t play better this year his career will be over.
If he doesn’t improve no way he declines the QO
At this point cubs should absolutely keep him and hope he rebounds. If he plays well then make a qualifying offer. The nationals are in a bad spot in a tough division, I wouldn’t be trading prospects either.
Correct on all points. I just think the Cubs misfired by not dealing him last winter, if they really wanted to trade him. At this point they have little leverage, so why not just keep him.
Yes, in hindsight, they should have traded him last offseason. But they were trying to contend and he was coming off a 4.8 WAR season.
Ya….no. Give up two prospects for a one-year rental, with an $18M price tag, for a guy that is coming off a poor 2020 season? Nats have several guys that can play 3B (Castro, Kieboom and Harrison), and holes to fill. in LF, 1B, C, the rotation and BP. They can fill several of them with $18M.
Just throwing this out there real quick, KB can also play both corner OF spots and 1B…
True, but he is still an expensive 1-year rental, in a revenue challenged environment.
Nimmo LF
Springer CF
Conforto RF
Alonso DH
Smith 1B
McNeil 2B
JD Davis 3B
McCann C
Gimenez SS
Rosario
Flowers
Kike Hernandez
Marisnick
Degrom
Stroman
Odorrizi
Walker
Peterson
Matz
Syndergaard
Hendricks
Lugo
Diaz
May
Castro
Bentances
Familia
This team would dominate!!! I hope they do something similar
So you’re saying you don’t want Bryant. Thanks for posting.
Lmao facts
That team would be good, certainly much improved, but I’d still rate that team behind the Dodgers, so I don’t think “dominate” is the right word.
More than one team could dominate. Dodgers could be better. Doesn’t mean Mets wouldn’t be able to beat them in a playoffs series.
Can’t ever have an MLBTR article without MetsFan22 reminding us in the comments section that The Muts are just soooooooo close to dominating. And in that same light, I would like everyone to know that I am sooooooooo close to sleeping with Margot Robbie.
I’m happy you guys won in 2019. The next 5 years might not be fun
The last decade sans ’15 its been a joy finishing behind the Nats huh?
Yeah thank god the wilpons are gone. You won’t like the new Mets.
Yes, Im sure.
You’ve done quite a job establishing yourself as the resident MLBTR Boy Who Cried Wolf, so kindly forgive me and the rest of us if we believe the opposite of what you typically forecast from your Mets-colored lenses glasses perspective. I do however, find it comforting that you feel so intimidated by the Nats that you feel compelled to comment about the Mets in a NATIONALS article. I will ask you a favor: kindly stay away from investing in companies I own stock in. Your bad karma is the worst kind.
Natsman1:Why’d you ever want to do that? Just to say that you did it?
Lol there was no Mets article. I didn’t even know this was a Nats article. I just wanted to write a roster that I made recently and share it…
My condolences that Shakira already turned you down.
Well hey, give a guy credit for trying.
Braves are still better than that fantasy lineup.
Braves are better rn. If the Mets do what I wrote(the probably won’t) the Mets would have the better roster.
“We think we can allocate our dollars and prospect capital in another way”.
Bryant’s been dangled by the Cubs for awhile. No takers. Not a Cubs fan, but would think they would be better off to not be in a rush, and hold onto Bryant and hope he regains his mojo in ’21. And if they’re out of the playoff race, deal him then. In the Nats’ case, that $18m would be better spent on a different RH bat to protect Soto.
Agreed. Selling low on Bryant now isn’t going to Cubs any type of meaningful return. Deadline trade or QO.
Bryant has even less trade value once the season starts. Only the team he begins the season with can extend a QO for 2022. Cubs would probably need to eat some of his remaining salary to move him midseason.
Bryant is not going to be traded this offseason and based on the fact that the rest of the NL Central is cutting cost, he won’t be dealt mid-season because the Cubs are going to be competitive.
The Cubs have a big advantage in personnel if they choose to spend a little in free agency and that advantage is that their players can be shifted around. Bryant can play any outfield position if they want to add a third baseman or a second baseman and shift Bote or Hoerner to the hot corner. Hoerner can play CF, SS, second and third. Bote can play second and third. Happ can play all three outfield positions well. So they can target guys who are good fits and adjust the defensive positioning accordingly.
I think the Cubs will spend near the luxury tax threshold for 2021, the cost cutting BS is overblown. They simply want to get below the LT since they have been over for a couple years. That still allows them some wiggle room to improve the roster and the flexibility allows them to shift guys around to accommodate nearly any free agent target.
I personally would go after LaStella to play third and Wong to play second, shifting KB to LF. I could also see the Cubs getting in on Kim as a potential Kris Bryant or Javy Baez replacement moving forward. Again, the could fit Kim in at either third or second and shift KB if need be.
I hope you are right about the spending but it sure doesn’t appear it’s going to happen. If they are still trying to trade Bryant to field a team they are doomed. They are well under the luxury tax right now but have 2 outfield spots, 2 sp spots and some bullpen arms to replace. That’s easily done with 40+ million dollars and they don’t even need to go bargain bin shopping.
The Nats wanted Bryant with two years of control now that he is down to one year and almost zero chance of signing an extension giving up prospects for one season seems less appealing. I think the Red Sox were thinking the same thing. Bryant will probably finish out his contract with the Cubs because i don’t see a team giving up a premium package for on almost certain to be abbreviated season
Blame little theo epstein for not getting anyone of value back for bryant
I’ll blame “little Theo Epstein” for playoff appearances in 5 out of the past 6 years and for giving the Cubs the most successful 6 year run in their franchise history… Not to mention the joy of seeing one their pitchers win the NL Cy Young and KB winning MVP honors.
Theo knows how to tank with the best of them. But when he does build it, he has no clue how to maintain. He is shockingly inept at maintaining because he falls in love with his draft picks.
The Cubs brass fell in love with the 2016 team and they are simply paralyzed. This team should have been broken up 3 years ago, when the pieces actually had value. At $19mil Bryant has zero value.
Yap – they all do it.
Cubs should move Bryant and Hendricks together. Say to Toronto. Pearson and a couple of prospects.
Then move Contreras and Darvish together to Yanks. Frazier and a couple of pitching prospects.
Payroll solved. Still have Rizzo, Baez, Happ, and Heyward. Plus Bote, Hoerner,and backup catcher.
Sign JBJ., Odizz, and Lester
Wait. So you mean all these “X team is interested in Kris Bryant”… are BS from the Cubs!?!? What a concept!
Rizzo must be sick of getting asked questions daily about KB haha
Well according to mlbtr kris bryant was a non-tender candidate. Why would they be interested in trading for him? Haha. Not gonna lie, that was the worst take on this website in awhile by the braintrust.