Kris Bryant, The Cubs, & Scott Boras: Why Everyone is Right
Mar 26, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kris Bryant (76) at bat during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
The most talked about topic this spring has certainly been Kris Bryant’s utter destruction of Spring Training and his recent demotion. Is he Major League ready? Probably, he was the best player in MiLB in 2014, and I am pretty sure he is already ahead of quite a few active Major Leaguers. However, the Kris Bryant debate is not just that of talent and readiness.
There are three parties in this debate with obvious goals: Kris Bryant, the Cubs, and Scott Boras. First and foremost, Bryant simply wants to play in the Major Leagues, but he also has the same viewpoints as his agent, Scott Boras. The Cubs want to win as many games as possible in both the short term and the long term. Scott Boras wants to maximize his own revenue by maximizing Kris Bryant’s earnings.
All three parties are rational in their goals, but they clearly cannot all work out with a common solution. Since we already know the outcome of this scenario, the Cubs won the hot button issue by sending down Kris Bryant because they obviously had the right to do so.
This move was absolutely in the best interest of the Chicago Cubs. If Bryant stays down for only 12 days, then the Cubs gain an extra year of prime Kris Bryant. While it is true that the Cubs would probably be a drop better from a full season of Bryant, nine games (in those 12 days) will have a minimal impact. Even nine games worth of Mike Trout is only worth half a game. Nine games of a player with no MLB experience will have a minimal impact at best.
An extra year of control is absolutely in the best interest of the Chicago Cubs because Kris Bryant is a Scott Boras client. Boras historically has virtually all of his clients test free agency, so it is critical for the Cubs to maximize the length of time they guarantee Bryant on their team. With a prospect that could be this potentially special, it is worth losing nine games or so to gain 162 games down the road.
Beyond that, the Chicago Cubs did nothing wrong by sending down Bryant. The front office has been transparent in their organizational beliefs in this rebuild and losing a year of Kris Bryant would not make sense. Even if the Cubs are competing for a playoff spot in 2015 and every win could be critical, they are playing to win by sending down Bryant.
As for Bryant, he obviously wants to play in the show. I mean, who does not dream of it? With his prospect pedigree and monster stats, Bryant will surely be in the Majors after his amazing spring with 14 runs, 9 homers, 17 RBI’s, and a .425/.477/1.175 in 40 at-bats. The mantra of not putting too much into Spring Training stats can be brought up here, but it is obvious that he is ML ready.
Boras clearly wants Kris Bryant to start his service clock as soon as possible because he will reach free agency (which could be a massive payday) one year sooner. Boras does a great job of maximizing his clients’ contracts, but he does make it less likely for a deal to get done. As a result, the history of Scott Boras makes it logical for the Cubs to demote him for a few games.
Everyone above is a logical party who just wants what is in the best interest for them, but the MLBPA is absolutely in the wrong by criticizing the Kris Bryant demotion to AAA. Bryant is not on the 40-man roster of the Chicago Cubs, so he is not in the MLBPA. If Bryant made the big league club, then it would mean that another member was leaving the Players’ Union.
It is shocking to see the MLBPA stump for someone outside of the union. If the MLBPA got their way, then they would be removing one of their own members to accommodate Bryant. Superstar treatment, especially for a non-MLBPA member, would go against everything that a union should represent.
The fact that the union is threatening action is illogical because they would be representing a non-union member. If I was on the 40 man roster for the Chicago Cubs and the union was threatening action about delaying Kris Bryant’s clock, then I would not be too happy if they were defending a player that could displace me in the union. While Bryant will deservingly join the 40 man and the active roster soon, the MLBPA should not be filing a grievance.
In the end, I expect all of this to blow over once Kris Bryant is playing at Wrigley Field by late April. The Cubs are well within their rights to hold down Bryant because of the current CBA in place, Kris Bryant also obviously wants to be playing his baseball at Wrigley, and Scott Boras obviously just wants to get his client and himself the most money possible.
As for me, I am just excited we will have meaningful baseball this Sunday night and Kris Bryant will hopefully join the big league club in a couple weeks. I truly hope the 70 future value player will live up to his lofty potential and more.