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Dodgers and Cubs are perfect trade partners for Kris Bryant
The Dodgers are looking to make a big move and outside of Mookie Betts, the next big trade they could make is for Kris Bryant.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting with plenty of “cap space” after failed runs at Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon among others. While their exact payroll number remains unknown until arbitration salaries are settled, the ballpark range is $30-$40 million dollars that the Dodgers have to work with to remain under the luxury tax threshold. According to Stan Kasten, the Dodgers are expected to go above the luxury tax line this year so moves are coming if Kasten is true to his word.
One of the speculated and rumored moves is for the Dodgers to acquire Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox. While Betts is a great fit in LA, it remains to be seen if the Red Sox will part with the face of their franchise. Another intriguing possibility is Kris Bryant. The Cubs are still waiting for the conclusion of Bryant’s grievance to see if the slugger has one more season before free agency or two. Regardless of the outcome, a Kris Bryant trade makes sense for both clubs.
Why trading Bryant to LA makes sense for Chicago
If it turns out that Kris Bryant is entering a contract season, the Cubs have even more reason to deal their best asset before he departs for a pick in free agency. The Dodgers have one of the top farm systems in baseball and could help accelerate the Cubs’ rebuild on the fly. While the Dodgers are unlikely to part with Gavin Lux the Cubs could try to pry Kiebert Ruiz, Jeter Downs, and Josiah Gray from the Dodgers.
With Willson Contreras on the trade block, Ruiz could be the Cubs’ catcher of the future as Chicago’s number two prospect, Miguel Amaya, is still a few seasons away from the big leagues. Gray and Downs would be good gets for the Cubs as both are top 100 prospects in all of baseball and come with good potential. Obviously, the package the Cubs would get will depend on how many seasons of Bryant the Dodgers would get.
The Cubs are also looking to get under the luxury tax and the Dodgers have plenty of room to take on Kris Bryant’s projected arbitration salary of $18.5 million dollars. This would allow the Cubs to make other moves for the future like sign Nick Castellanos or give them more payroll wiggle room to extend Javier Baez. The Cubs could unload salary and get a nice prospect haul from the Dodgers.
Why Kris Bryant fits perfectly in Los Angeles
Offensively, Kris Bryant is exactly what the Dodgers are looking for. Over the last three seasons, Bryant has slashed .317/.429/.610 against southpaw pitching which is an OPS of 1.039. With left-handed sluggers such as Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy in the middle of the order, Bryant would give the Dodgers another lefty masher to go with Justin Turner and A.J. Pollock (Yes, Pollock mashed lefties in 2019).
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Defensively, Kris Bryant struggles at third base, but if the Dodgers had to play him there they could. Bryant had a UZR/150 rating of -1.5 in 2019 with a DRS of -7. Kris also played first base, left field, and right field in 2019 so he has the type of defensive versatility that Andrew Friedman loves. Depending on the lineup for a given day, the Dodgers could play Bryant at either of the four positions. He could be used at third base to give Justin Turner more days off in 2020.
The Dodgers would have Kris Bryant’s bat in their lineup for the next season or two and he would help push their lineup over the top. Given how the Dodgers tend to struggle with runners in scoring position during the postseason, Bryant would be a welcome addition to the top of LA’s batting order as well given his .401 on-base percentage when leading off over the last three seasons.
Next. How Jimmy Nelson affects the rest of the pitching staff. dark
From a financial standpoint, Bryant’s projected salary of $18.5 million would fit nicely into the Dodgers’ payroll. It would still leave roughly $20 million in spending space so even if the Dodgers wished to stay under the tax line, they would have plenty of room to take on in-season upgrades in 2020. If it is true that the Dodgers are willing to go over the tax line, a big-time addition through the trade market would still be possible after adding Bryant.