Cubs' Bryant on Boras: 'It's nice to have a bulldog working for you'
Kris Bryant is letting his bat - and agent - do the talking this spring as he competes for the Chicago Cubs' starting third base job.
Hours after agent Scott Boras and Cubs president Theo Epstein traded barbs over the organization's handling of the super prospect, Bryant was diplomatic in his efforts to diffuse the controversy Wednesday.
"Scott works for me," Bryant told reporters after Boras skewered the Cubs for not promoting his client last September and plotting a possible start in Triple-A to begin the 2015 season. "He does a great job. it's nice to have a bulldog working for you rather than a poodle."
Boras's comments come amid a flurry of controversy surrounding baseball's best prospect, who exploded onto the national scene after leading the minors with 43 homers and a 1.098 OPS as a 22-year-old last season.
Bryant, who was named Minor League Player of the Year in 2014, is 10-for-23 this spring with a major-league-leading six home runs through nine games.
"I think the spring I’m having so far is putting me in a pretty good position (to make the team)," Bryant said. "We’re told we can go out there and win a spot and I really took that to heart at the beginning of spring. I came out here with a chip on my shoulder and wanted to play as hard as I can."
The Cubs can secure another year of control over Bryant - the difference between him hitting free agency at age 29 or 30 - if they elect to send him to Triple-A to start the season and keep him there for at least 12 days, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Epstein took exception to Boras's comments Tuesday, saying that Bryant will be evaluated this spring strictly on merit and not because of a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement.
"This spring training we wanted him to work on his footwork, his first step, his throwing and other fundamentals with as many game repetitions as possible," Epstein said, noting that Bryant has been limited at third due to minor shoulder fatigue. "More than anything, we want him to get in a good rhythm defensively before he makes his major-league debut."