Cubs, Mets in recent trade talks centered around Kris Bryant

Steve Cohen is determined to turn the New York mets into a World Series contender in 2021.

The New York Mets sat aside and watched the San Diego Padres take the spotlight of MLB’s Hot Stove season by pulling off blockbuster trades for ace pitchers Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. So, the Mets front office orchestrated a massive transaction of their own on Thursday, as they acquired superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene.

But could another deal be in the works?

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Mets had recent trade talks with the Chicago Cubs regarding third baseman Kris Bryant.

Timing of Bryant trade talks are unknown

While Nightengale dropped that nugget, he didn’t elaborate when the discussions took place. Is acquiring Bryant a move to bolster their infield alongside Lindor? Or were the talks preliminary in case the Lindor/Carrasco discussions fell through? As of this writing, there’s no clarification.

The Cubs have made it known that they’re open for business. Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo all set to become free agents following the 2021 season and the Cubs don’t exactly have the funds to retain all three. That’s why the Cubs opted to trade Darvish to the Padres as a way to get the remaining $59 million owed to him over the next three years off the books and to bolster their farm system. But Bryant still being dangled in trade talks doesn’t bode well for his future in the Windy City.

Bryant was limited to 34 games this season due to injury, where he slashed .206/.293/.351 while hitting four home runs and 11 RBI.

Given that Bryant is set to earn $18.6 million in arbitration this upcoming season, the Mets won’t necessarily have to give up much. They didn’t have to surrender their top-tier prospects for Lindor, because he hits the open market at season’s end.

If the Mets still plan to pursue Bryant, that would create a stacked infield with Lindor and first baseman Pete Alonso. Cohen wasn’t kidding about following the Los Angeles Dodgers model in regards to running the Mets. So far, he’s on track.