This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but we now have a second national MLB reporter that says the Chicago Cubs tried to lock up Kris Bryant to a contract extension this past offseason. Just like SI’s Tom Verducci’s report from April, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the same on Thursday.
The Cubs did give Bryant a record-breaking, pre-arbitration salary of $1.05 million, but they were looking for a long-term deal. Those talks didn’t last long.
Via Jon Heyman:
It appears Kris Bryant didn’t counter anything the Chicago Cubs may have offered — if they did get to make an official offer — as a couple sources said they did. This development affirms an earlier report of Tom Verducci of MLB Network and Sports Illustrated.
One Cubs person suggested the response was something along the lines of, “We’re good.” That meant there was no counter offer.
Scott Boras, Bryant’s agent, said the Cubs and the 2016 NL MVP never got to specific talks about a contract extension.
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“(The Cubs) talked about where they are philosophically. We understand what works for (Theo Epstein). And we understand what philosophy works for Kris Bryant,” Boras said. “Theo’s dynamic has worked for him. And Kris Bryant’s dynamic has worked for players like him.”
It’s obvious why Theo Epstein and the Cubs want to lock up Bryant as soon as they can. Once Bryant hits free agency, he’ll be looking at a market where a $400 million deal will be obtainable.
Bryant is under team control through 2021, so it’s not a huge problem for the Cubs. However, it’s obvious the front office wants to secure a long-term deal with him because, you know, that’s the smart thing to do. At the same time, you can’t really blame Bryant for wanting no part of an extension at this point of his career. He’s coming off a Rookie of the Year and MVP seasons and there’s no sign that he’s slowing down. Even in a down year for the Cubs, Bryant is still performing up to his expectations.
But who knows, maybe a buddy from back home shocks the world and decides to sign with the Cubs and sways Bryant to sign a deal. More on that later.
