As the great Al Pacino once famously said in the infamous Godfather III movie, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
This phrase could be used to resemble trade talks that have gone on between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs this offseason regarding third baseman Kris Bryant.
As Andy Martino of SNY initially reported last month, talks between the Mets and Cubs initially fizzled out. And as Mike Puma of The New York Post noted, this was because of Chicago’s asking price of Mets’ No. 2 ranked prospect catcher Francisco Alvarez, whose been pinned as untouchable by the organization.
However, on Wednesday, Martino reported that the Mets and Cubs have resumed trade talks surrounding Bryant. Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks‘ name has also been floated around in package scenarios given the Mets’ needs in their rotation, but this has not been officially confirmed.
A source told Metsmerized, the Cubs were very close to non-tendering Bryant this offseason before opting to keep him and listen to trade proposals from other teams. But as SNY’s Jim Duquette reported, the Cubs are more likely to hold onto Bryant until the July trade deadline unless they are blown away by an offer.
Bryant is set to make $19.5 million this season and could be a pricey rental for a contender, who is in need of offensive help. For now, it appears the Mets will go with J.D. Davis at third, but if this plan fails, we could see Bryant in Queens come mid-Summer via trade.
The 29-year-old is coming off a disappointing shortened season, where he hit four home runs with 11 RBI while slashing .206/.293/..351. For his career, Bryant has won the MVP and Rookie of the Year award, while making three All Star appearances and helping the Cubs snap their 108-year World Series drought back in 2016.
