Skip to content

Report: Several teams still interested in Bryant trade

Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Kris Bryant is expected to be a member of the Chicago Cubs when they report to spring camp Sunday in Arizona. His future with the team beyond that point, however, is still to be determined.

The Cubs remain in contact with several clubs about the possibility of trading Bryant, sources told MLB.com's Jon Morosi.

The Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals have spoken to the Cubs in recent weeks about a potential deal.

However, Chicago doesn't feel an urgency to trade Bryant in the same way the Boston Red Sox showed when they sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke Tuesday about the possibility of a major trade happening soon.

"Whether anything big happens, I don't know," Epstein said, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Obviously, the closer you get to Opening Day, the less likely it is to happen, but there's still some chatter going on across the industry, but we're kind of turning the page, honestly, with our focus. We're excited about the group we have in camp. And it's time to pull together and focus on winning games."

The Rangers are one of the most intriguing landing spots for Bryant, as the Cubs are reluctant to ship him to a fellow National League contender and Texas still seeks an impact right-handed bat after missing out on Anthony Rendon and Nick Castellanos in free agency, according to Morosi. Meanwhile, the rumored Bryant-for-Nolan Arenado swap with the Rockies hasn't progressed.

The Nationals, on the other hand, could be held up by luxury-tax concerns, and the Phillies may be hesitant to part with any top prospects from what is a thin farm system.

Bryant, who has been one of baseball's most productive hitters since 2015, is under club control for two more seasons after recently losing a service-time grievance. He's set to earn $18.6 million in 2020.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox