Bleacher Bums Forum

Cubs trade Bryant and sign Keuchel. The Darkest Timeline.

On MLB Network right now, @Ken_Rosenthal mentioned that he would be "shocked" if a Kris Bryant trade were to happen this week at the Winter Meetings but noted that it's still in play and the Cubs are in a unique situation.

Theo also said it was an offseason where they had to be patient.

There is going to be a lot of speculation in the coming weeks, whether about Bryant, Contreras or others. Jesse Rogers predicted that there would be a major trade by the Cubs at the Winter Meetings, and specifically suggested that it might be Bryant.  Maybe the Cubs will make a major trade at the Winter Meetings, but Rogers was simply speculating. I don't plan on taking any of the speculation very seriously, even from legitimate reporters, because I'm pretty sure that not even Theo Epstein knows how any of this is going to turn out, and I seriously doubt that he's sharing much in the way of specifics regarding plans and expectations with anyone outside his inner circle. 

That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with speculation, whether by reporters or by internet fans - indeed, I will certainly check here and elsewhere to try to keep up with rumors. But I remember taking some of these things too seriously in past seasons, only to learn there was often nothing whatsoever to many of them. It should be an interesting winter - how interesting remains to be seen.

Sharma had a piece talking about trades for Bryant. He discussed the Phillies saying that Bohm might be a trade target, but he isn’t sure the Phillies would trade him or that the Cubs would want him. He went heavily into the Dodgers as a target saying that Lux and May would be preferred trade targets but they are likely unobtainable. Instead he thinks a trade built around Alex Verdurgo as being the Cubs best option. Verdurgo has a lower wRC+ than Ian Happ, but he doesn’t strike out I guess.

Verdurgo is a solid player. Look at the Dodgers with Bryant.  Bellinger, Bryant, Seager, Muncy, Turner, Smith, Lux as positional talent. Buhler, Kershaw, May, Urias in the rotation. No shot the Cubs compete against that team.

MLB Morning Lineup has a headline that the Nationals have asked about Bryant, but the link to the story doesn't work at the moment.

He'd certainly fit the bill as a replacement for Rendon for them.

Paraphrasing Jeff Passan on ESPN: Everyone in the lobby believes Kris Bryant is the guy who is gonna move. But the Cubs aren't going to trade him unless it's a huge offer.

More @JeffPassan on ESPN1000, he's heard the Padres connected to the Cubs on Willson Contreras, but the ask is absurd.