3 teams that should start thinking about signing Kris Bryant

The New York Mets were in the mix to trade for Bryant all season long

Now, this would be something. The New York Mets did make a big splash during the deadline by trading for Bryant’s former Cubs teammate in Baez. The idea behind this trade is that Baez will play second, or potentially third, with Jeff McNeil manning the other spot. Obviously, Francisco Lindor will be at short and Pete Alonso at first in what should make for one hell of a Mets starting infield.

But what if Baez walks in his free agency? That would re-open the possibility of Bryant going to the Mets, a team he had been tied to all throughout the trading process. New York has all the money in the world to get a star player like Bryant. He would ensure the Mets were strong at both corner infielder spots going forward. Again, his arrival is all about letting Baez walk in free agency.

Until Austin Riley emerged at third base for the Atlanta Braves, the Mets’ rivals were a potential landing spot for Bryant as well. Now that Riley is well on his way to becoming the next Chipper Jones or Scott Rolen, New York cannot let third base be a weakness heading into free agency. No way. While it is a bit of a reach at this point, we have to wonder if Bryant is destined for Queens.

Overall, Bryant will have a robust market entering his high-profile free agency. He his hit well at the plate this year and has improved his valued based on all sorts of places he can play in the field now. While there are other teams who could be interested in signing him to a long-term deal, we have to believe teams like the Cubs, Giants and Mets are right at the top of the list to land him.

What other teams should be thinking about how Bryant can make their team better in 2022?