It doesn’t matter how Kris Bryant’s career turned out following his time with the Cubs. We’re not here to argue whether or not he should have been traded. What we can do is look back and now officially close the book on what turned out to be an awful trade for the Cubs.
On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded Bryant to the San Francisco Giants for two prospects: outfielder Alexander Canario and right-handed starting pitcher Caleb Kilian.
Bryant played in 52 games with the Giants, who ended the 2021 season with 107 wins, the most in MLB.
The former Rookie of the Year, MVP and four-time All-Star posted a 113 wRC+ in San Francisco, slashing .262/.344/.444 in 212 plate appearances. Bryant was by far the best hitter for the Giants in the postseason as he went 8-for-17 at the plate, but there wasn’t much help behind him as the Giants only scored 10 runs in their five-game series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yet, as is the case for every trade, it doesn’t matter what Bryant did or didn’t do with his new team or what happened to him afterward. The only thing of consequence for the Cubs is what they got in return and what those players were able to produce for them. In this case, it wasn’t very much. Almost next to nothing.
Kris Bryant’s Trade Value
Kris Bryant entered 2021 as pending free agent following the end of the season. After an injury-filled 2020, Bryant and the Cubs agreed to a $19.5 million salary in his final arbitration-eligible year. At the time of the trade Bryant had a slash line of .267/.358/.503, with a 131 wRC+. He hit 18 home runs with the Cubs and after a down month of June Bryant rebounded with a .922 OPS in July.
So, Bryant’s overall numbers were down from his prime in 2015-19, but still very much a valuable hitter that provided versatility on the field. However, his 2021 salary and upcoming free agency did knock Bryant’s value at the trade deadline.
In the week leading up to the trade deadline rumors began to surface that the Giants were interested in trading for Bryant. The New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays were also reportedly involved, but obviously the Giants were the most interested in completing a deal. However, reports pushed back on the Cubs potentially getting catcher Joey Bart in a trade for Bryant. Bart would have been seen as a massive return back in 2021.
While Bart hasn’t lived up to his hype, in 2021 he was a consensus top-50 prospect. Yet, it was clear from the initial Bryant connection to San Francisco that the Cubs were not going to get back a top-100 prospect in any trade for Bryant.
You also have to consider that the Giants were not close to the luxury tax in 2021, so they had no problem taking on Bryant’s full contract to end the season. In a different scenario, the Cubs could have pushed for a bigger return if they paid Bryant’s salary down, but with the Giants, the money wasn’t an issue.
So, at the end the Cubs received Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian.
“I liked the trade with the Giants the least as I didn’t think the Cubs received enough for Bryant.”
That’s what The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote following the 2021 trade deadline, giving the Cubs an overall grade of A- after the sell-off.
Alexander Canario’s Cubs Career
Canario, who was 20-years-old at the time of the trade, was coming back from a torn labrum the previous November. The right-handed hitting outfielder was known for his power, but there were definitely questions surrounding Canario’s plate discipline.
That being said, Canario had a great year in his first full season in the Cubs minor league system. In 2022, Canario worked himself up from A+ Ball to Double-A and then earned a promotion to Triple-A Iowa to end the season. Canario hit 37 home runs across the three levels in the minors, posting an OPS above .880 at each stop, while adding 23 stolen bases.
It was certainly an encouraging sign for Canario, who tapped into his power at the plate, while gradually decreasing his strikeouts as the season progressed.
Unfortunately, Canario suffered a horrific injury playing in Winter Ball following the 2022 minor league season. Canario underwent surgery on his ankle and dislocated shoulder, delaying his 2023 season until the summer. The outfielder was never able to get regular playing time in the majors and with a crowded outfield in 2025, the Cubs officially moved on from Canario in spring training, trading him to the Mets.
Overall, Canario played in 21 games with the Cubs and got a total of 45 plate appearances in the big leagues across two seasons.
Alexander CanSLAM!#NextStartsHere pic.twitter.com/5AsxBX4l2K
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 20, 2023
Caleb Kilian’s Cubs Career
Meanwhile, Kilian came over from the Giants without much hype. He was their No. 30 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but there was hope the Cubs could make him better. And well at first things looked promising for the right-handed starting pitcher.
Kilian began the 2022 season with the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. He recorded a 2.06 ERA in nine starts, leading up to his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 4, 2022. A few days before his first big-league game, Kilian was ranked in Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list.
His debut could not have gotten off to a better start. Nine up and nine down, as Kilian was perfect through three innings at Wrigley Field. He did get into trouble in the fourth inning, giving up three earned runs, but overall a decent MLB debut for the righty, who pitched five innings against the Cardinals.
Then, things went downhill fast. Kilian was optioned back to Triple-A and then brought back up to the majors for two more starts later in June. He walked 10 batters, allowed 8 hits and was charged with 10 earned runs in 6.1 combined innings against the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.
All of a sudden Kilian lost the ability to find the strike zone. In his first nine starts at Triple-A in 2022, he had a 9.1 BB%. After his MLB debut against the Cardinals Kilian made 17 more starts at Triple-A and his walk rate spiked to 14.1%.
In 2023, Kilian got another shot with the Cubs, who needed an emergency starter against the Miami Marlins in late April. He didn’t have major issues with walks this time around, but Kilian was knocked around hard to the tune of seven earned runs on 10 hits in 3.1 innings. He spent most of the year in the minors and only made two more appearances for the Cubs, a pair of one-inning relief outings in August.
There was a bit of hope that Kilian had turned the corner during spring training in 2024. He was lighting up the radar gun in Arizona, but then a shoulder strain landed Kilian on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day. Kilian came back in July, pitched well as a starter and reliever in Triple-A, and then made two starts with the Cubs in September.
On Sept. 29, 2024, Kilian pitched in his eighth and final game with the Cubs. Ironically, it was the best outing in his abbreviated MLB career, throwing five shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
The righty remained on the 40-man roster through this past offseason, but was never in conversation to make the Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. The 27-year-old started for Iowa on April 3. Kilian gave up six earned runs in 2.1 innings and was then placed on the injured list a few days later.
On April 10, the Cubs designated Kilian for assignment to make room for lefty reliever Tom Cosgrove. This past Saturday, the Cubs officially released Kilian.
And that was it. Eight games, 27.1 innings for Caleb Kilian in a Cubs uniform. Only 45 plate appearances for Alexander Canario. That’s all the Cubs got for Kris Bryant.
What a damn shame.
