3 prospects Cubs should target in Kris Bryant trade talks
If the Cubs plan to get the best return for Kris Bryant, it likely involves throwing in some cash to get one of the following top prospects.
Will he stay, or will he go? The big mystery has surrounded Kris Bryant and his fellow Chicago Cubs teammates over recent years, and now things are reaching the apex as the July 30 trade deadline gets closer.
In his final year before hitting the free-agent market, Bryant is slashing .271/.353/.502 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs in 329 plate appearances this season. His numbers remain solid despite a month of June during which he posted a .114 batting average.
He was named an All-Star for the fourth time in his seven-year career, and Bryant’s ability to play multiple positions has only increased his value. Bryant has made 52 appearances all three outfield spots, 27 appearances at third base and 12 appearances at first base. He’s also played defense well wherever he’s gone, committing just one error in the outfield and three in the infield.
Whoever wins the Bryant sweepstakes will only get him for half a season and will be left to negotiate with super-agent Scott Boras, who is seeking a long-term deal for his client in the offseason.
It’s a big part of why the Cubs would be wise to get value for Bryant while they can at the deadline. If not, and he walks away from Chicago at season’s end, the team receives a compensation pick for the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft.
3. JT Ginn
The New York Mets have been linked to a trade for Bryant going back to this past offseason. It was also reported, the Cubs were scouting New York’s top prospects, (No. 6) pitcher JT Ginn and (No. 12) utility man Jaylen Palmer.
Given Bryant would only be a one-year rental for the Mets, the Cubs would likely need to pay a good portion, or all of Bryant’s $19.5 million salary for the 2021 season if they want to land a top prospect.
Chicago needs to stockpile some arms for their future rotation, something they haven’t done up to this point, and Ginn would be a great addition in that process.
Originally drafted with the 30th overall pick out of high school in 2018, Ginn opted to play at Mississippi State and was later drafted in the second round of the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft. He needed Tommy John surgery in March 2020, but he’s since bounced back for an excellent start to his minor-league career.
In seven starts at Single-A St. Lucie, Ginn has posted a 2.48 ERA, 0.949 WHIP, and a 8.5 K/9 rate over 32.2 innings this season.
MLB Pipeline has this to say about Ginn:
"“Ginn shows three promising pitches when he is the mound. The fastball sits 91-95 mph and comes with a good amount of sink and life, pushing the grade up a touch. He can also touch as high as 97 with the offering when he rears back. The mid-80s slider draws promising reviews for its ability to move over two planes and is a weapon in its own right. The changeup was developing and showed promising signs with some sink of its own. Ginn still features some violence in his delivery, but is much improved in that department since his high school days. His control wasn’t an issue prior to the surgery after he walked only 5.7 percent of the batters he faced at Mississippi State.”"
For Cubs fans, it may seem like there should be more to offer, given Bryant’s accomplishments in the past, which include Rookie of the Year and NL MVP, but the reality is the Cubs waited too long to get the maximum value. The only way to increase their return is to open up their checkbooks and send significant cash wherever Bryant goes.