Earlier this month, when the Chicago Cubs welcomed the full squad to Mesa, Theo Epstein sat down with former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP Kris Bryant. The two covered an array of topics, namely Bryant’s recently-concluded service time grievance and long-standing offseason trade rumors.
Bryant emerged from that meeting feeling like he was a key piece to the puzzle for Chicago – and rightfully so. He turned in a solid showing last season, bouncing back from a 2018 performance that was marred by injury.
“One veteran scout at Tuesday’s game said a few teams were still looking at Bryant as a trade possibility one week after Bryant said he expects to start the season with the Cubs.