It’s been a while since there’s been any Kris Bryant trade talk circulating through the interwebs, but we got a juicy one coming from Atlanta. Again, things won’t really pick up until Bryant’s grievance case is settled and that’s still at least a couple weeks away and of course Josh Donaldson has to sign somewhere for the Cubs to fully engage in trade talks.
The Braves are obviously interested in Bryant and a few days ago an Atlanta radio host named four specific players the Cubs are supposedly asking for in exchange for the 2016 National League MVP.
Obviously this is predicated on Bryant being under team control for two more seasons, which is the likely, but still unresolved conclusion of his grievance case. Anyway, Paul Crane was on 92.9 The Game earlier this week and said he’s heard the Cubs are asking for three of the following four Braves prospects in a trade for Bryant: Ian Anderson, Austin Riley, Drew Waters and Kyle Wright.
Here’s the clip from Crane on the Dukes and Bell Show.
You’re always wary of sports talk radio rumors compared to stuff you get from national baseball reporters or beat writers, but those were oddly specific names and not just a list of guys who have been discussed before in other stories. Plus, it’s not like Crane simply named Atlanta’s top-four prospects either. But again, who knows. Maybe this guy actually has a solid source or he knows as much about the trade talks between the Cubs and Braves as you and I do.
The names are certainly intriguing and unlike other ridiculous trade rumor stories that fly around, this one seems pretty reasonable if the Cubs intend to take a serious step back in 2020.
Ian Anderson might be a top-25 ranked prospect by next season and he’d definitely be the guy you’d want the Cubs to get most in this scenario. Picked third overall in the 2016 draft, the right-handed starting pitcher has been a stud in the minors, posting a 2.68 ERA in 111 innings at Double-A in 2019. It was his age 20 season, as Anderson celebrated his 21st birthday on May 2. Overall in four minor league seasons, Anderson has recorded a 2.91 ERA in 80 starts.
Fellow right-handed starting pitcher Kyle Wright was the fifth pick in the 2017 draft and is currently considered at least a top-50 prospect. He’s been called up by the Braves twice in his young career in 2018 and 2019, pitching a total of 25.2 innings in the majors. Considering the record-setting offense seen at Triple-A in 2019, Wright’s 4.17 ERA in 21 starts looks pretty good. The 24-year-old could easily be ready to join the Cubs rotation in 2020.
Drew Waters was drafted in the second round in 2017, and as a 20-year-old center fielder he slashed .309/.360/.459, in Double and Triple-A. He did struggle in the final month of the season when he was promoted to Triple-A, but that’s expected from a 20-year-old. Waters is a top-30 prospect, with great speed and outfield defense. If the Cubs get him, he’d pretty much be the guy they’d count on being the center fielder of the future.
If the Braves make the trade, then they’d most likely want to include Austin Riley going to the Cubs in place of one of the other prospects. The 22-year-old slugger strikes out a lot, but he definitely has a lot of power in his bat. Riley clubbed 15 home runs in 44 games at Triple-A in 2019, before he was called up to the show. He played in 80 games for the Braves and after a freakish start to his MLB career, Riley struggled, ending the year with a .226/.279/.471 slash line still good for a .750 OPS, though. He struck out 37% of the time, but also smashed 18 home runs in 274 at-bats.
No serious trade talks have been reported elsewhere and again those will only pick up after Donaldson signs and when Bryant’s case is finally comes to a ruling. But if we want to speculate on this little rumor, you’d think the Braves don’t want to trade Anderson and probably prefer to only trade two of the four instead of three. The Cubs obviously want a big haul for Bryant, so if they do make a deal hopefully they don’t budge on the asking price.
I hate the Kris Bryant trade rumors too, but sadly they’re not going away anytime soon.
