Dodgers: Kris Bryant could be jewel of offseason that LA needs

With all of the rumors surrounding the Dodgers and Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, and Francisco Lindor, other star players have gotten lost in the mix.

One of those stars that the Dodgers could add is Kris Bryant, especially now that Rendon and Cole are locked up.

The current Chicago Cubs third baseman and left fielder is entering his age-28 season in 2020. He’s scheduled to hit free agency before the 2022 season. A right-handed power bat, Bryant fits all of the Dodgers’ needs without breaking the bank. Adding Bryant’s arbitration salaries from 2020 and 2021 is likely to only be a few million dollars more than one season of Anthony Rendon’s $35 million AAV will cost the Angels.

More from Dodgers Way

• Kevin Kiermaier being ‘top target’ to replace Cody Bellinger is bad sign for Dodgers
• Are the Dodgers really prepared to hand Shohei Ohtani a blank check?
• Dodgers fans shouldn’t dismiss interest in Dansby Swanson for this reason
• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own
• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers

Here’s how I broke down Bryant’s merits a few days ago.

Kris Bryant is one of the major options, especially because MLBTR reports that the Cubs are very motivated to make a trade. Bryant is a three-time All-Star with an MVP award and World Series title under his belt. The young stud is a career .241/.308/.434 postseason hitter with 15 extra-base hits and 16 RBI across nine postseason series.As a right-handed hitter with 30+ home run power, Bryant would slot in nicely into the Dodgers lineup, especially because he played all four corner outfield and corner infield slots in 2019 with the Chicago Cubs.

But why talk about Bryant when Lindor is seemingly still available?

For Lindor, the Indians are seemingly unlikely to deal him at this point, as John Paul Morosi of MLB.com tweeted that Bryant is more likely to be dealt than Lindor at this point.

Without the possibility of adding Lindor, the Dodgers should turn to a power bat to play either a corner infield or outfield slot, and if the team gets outbid on Rendon, they should turn to Bryant before other free-agent options.