Chicago Cubs may move Kris Bryant to outfield
By Bryan Rose
Few prospects come with more promise than that of Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. Or should I say outfielder? The 22-year-old phenom has been tearing up Triple-A pitching this season and looks primed for a spot on the Chicago Cubs 2015 opening day roster.
More from Chicago Cubs
- MLB Rumors: Yankees mistake, Cardinals trade package, Cubs choice
- MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan
- Cubs: Cody Bellinger is putting up come-and-get-me numbers
- Cubs front office deserves an apology for Willson Contreras hysteria
- MLB standings ordered by hard hit rate: Struggling Cardinals still cracking bats
But what position will he be playing?
Kris Bryant has played the hot corner for the vast majority of his professional career but he’s proven to be nothing more than adequate on the defensive side, not exactly good news considering he’s playing against lesser talent. What happens when he gets to the Show? That’s a concern of the Chicago Cubs front office who has allegedly held internal discussions about moving him to the outfield.
“He can do it,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “He played center in college, and he’s played right. He feels good out there. The biggest focus for him right now is he’s working on his defense. He is almost 6-6, and with that the fundamentals of playing third base are more challenging.”
Hoyer did go on to say that currently the focus of both the team and Bryant is on third base, though it seems increasingly likely that he’ll see some time in the outfield before season end and likely through spring training.
Most Chicago Cubs fans are likely hoping Kris Bryant would be able to stick at third base considering it’s a more difficult position to fill (especially in comparison to the outfield), but you certainly don’t want a sub-par defender at the hot corner either.