The two-time all-star third baseman and 2016 NL MVP has a career slash line of .285/.385/.515 and is averaging 31 homers and 94 RBI per season. All rights reserved. It still does, actually, so let’s not do it until such time as we’re forced to. For a team that’s reportedly actively looking to reset payroll issues, the deal provides relief. Add the Phillies to that mix, as 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine tweets that they’ve talked with the Cubs about the former MVP. The Phillies “X-factor” when it came to Kris Bryant was always elements outside of baseball. Their rotation and bullpen both project as the worst of the Big Four. In his last three seasons, Bryant has hit .269/.369/.478 and averaged 28 homers and 81 RBI per 162 games. Hey, cool, a new Kris Bryant rumor.

Buy Phillies 2020 tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport. The Cardinals for example, who were reported to be seriously interested in a Nolan Arenado deal, now may just use that same trade package on the Chicago-based third baseman. Things would be much uglier right now if the Phillies made that move for Bryant, a longtime friend of Harper's and fellow Las Vegas native. What they're saying: How good is the Phillies roster? Setting up the nucleus for years to come: If the deal went down, the Phillies could go forward with Harper, Bryant, Aaron Nola, Scott Kingery, Rhys Hoskins, Realmuto, Wheeler, and top pitching prospect Spencer Howard as the franchise’s core. Back in February, Harper sized up the situation the way a forward-thinking general manager would. With two entire seasons of Bryant now on the table, the asking price for the former MVP just went through the roof. Plus, Bryant’s numbers have slipped some, so we’re not talking about peak value for a suddenly-expensive player.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 9, 2019. The Phillies, as well as many other contending teams, have followed this closely, as the star third baseman is now both more desirable to acquire in a trade and more costly for teams buying.

While I wish I could tell you that this means a Bryant-Phillies trade is imminent, this is going to hurt the Phils if anything. If you buy something through these links you won’t pay a penny more, but you will help us keep the lights on. Marchan gives Chicago a potential catcher of the future with a possible Willson Contreras deal looming. The Phillies need more high-end talent to truly compete with a win-now team. IF a move is made, the Phillies need to make sure it's theirs. And I know there's a guy in there that we need to sign to an extension. The decision went to a judge, and after months of rumors and click-bait type stories, the decision was finally made. Bohm had twice as many hits as Bryant. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Evan Macy Kris Bryant-Bryce Harper-Scott Boras connection: Don’t underestimate this. His one season that was an exception was 2018, when he appeared in only 102 games and still was worth $18.7 million. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Right or wrong, it's the current rule and every team does it. The Phillies just completed a deal with Scott Boras' client Bryce Harper, a 13-year mega deal worth $330 million. All are 30-or-under. "Kris, of course you want an All-Star-caliber player, but we have (Alec) Bohm. This isn’t a young group. Win now: Yes, Bohm is a top prospect. Yes, he could be a younger and cheaper version of Bryant within a few years. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Cubs receive: Alec Bohm, Zach Elfin, Jean Segura (with the Phillies paying down some of the contract), Rafael Marchan. But the odds of that happening are low, and the Phillies haven’t set up a team for long-term sustainability. So what might that say about their motivation to move the slugging third baseman? Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Philadelphia Phillies and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. [The Athletic].