Cubs: Kris Bryant rips into ESPN for ‘clickbait’ story about him

The Chicago Cubs third baseman called out ESPN for publishing an article saying he wasn’t having fun anymore.

The Chicago Cubs are entering a season of uncertainty. There are notable players set to hit the open market following the 2021 campaign, and Chicago doesn’t have the necessary budget to keep all of them. One of those players is third baseman Kris Bryant, who has been subject of trade rumors over the years.

On Thursday, Bryant called out ESPN for publishing an article titled “Kris Bryant not having as much fun playing baseball as before.” Bryant called it a “clickbait story” and for the company to do better.

Story stems from an interview with the Red Line Radio podcast

During an interview with Barstool Sports’ Red Line Radio podcast, Bryant was asked about whether he’s having fun playing baseball with the trade speculation circulating around him. Bryant replied, “at times no,” while citing that he felt that way once the rumors circulated in 2018. You can catch his full reaction to the question in the tweet below.

Bryant is entering the final year of his deal with Chicago. This past season was a rough one for the third baseman, as he missed nearly half of the truncated season due to injuries. Bryant slashed .206/.293/.351 while recording  four home runs and 11 RBI in 34 games.

Besides Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez and first baseman Anthony Rizzo are slated to become free agents at the end of the upcoming season. Even though the team just traded ace pitcher Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres to free up money, the Cubs still don’t have the appropriate funds to retain all of them. They can possibly keep two of them, but all three looks like an impossible feat.

The trade rumors will likely surround Bryant through the entirety of the 2021 season, especially once the trade deadline arrives.