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Kyle Bishop looks back at the Chicago Cubs third baseman's injury-marred 2018 season and offers his thoughts on whether the former MVP will return to the ranks of the elite in 2019.
After capturing National League MVP honors and helping the Cubs end their 108-year championship drought in 2016, there was really nowhere to go but down for Kris Bryant. Indeed, his 2017 performance fell a bit short of the lofty heights he'd reached the prior year as all of his counting stats decreased, but he remained one of baseball's best players. Fantasy owners were not deterred from investing heavily last spring, and Bryant was viewed as one of the handful of reliably elite bats available.
Things didn't exactly play out as hoped. Bryant opened the season strongly enough with an OPS above .900 in each of the first two months despite only homering twice in April, but from there a nagging shoulder injury sapped his power and led to multiple stints on the disabled list. All told, Bryant managed to take the field for just 102 games, hitting .272/.374/.460 with 13 home runs, 59 runs scored, and 52 RBI. He was also successful on just two of his six stolen base attempts. It was the worst of his four major league seasons by any measure.
To be fair, many players would love to be able to point to a 125 wRC+ season (injury-ravaged, no less) as their nadir. But for fantasy owners who paid a steep price to land a linchpin for their squads, Bryant's results were a tremendous disappointment. With at least a half-dozen alternatives at the hot corner who could conceivably be called studs, how should you value him in 2019 drafts?
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This Cub Will Roar in 2019
Shortly after their season ended, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said he did not believe that Bryant's injured shoulder would require offseason surgery. No further news has emerged on that front, which at this point would suggest that he'll avoid surgery and enter spring training fully healthy.
There was, however, some other stuff written about Bryant earlier this month that could have a major impact on his future, as rumors have suggested that the Cubs would be "open" to trading him. To be blunt, it would come as a major surprise if that happened. While it's true that Chicago has been unable to come to terms on an extension with Bryant as he enters his arbitration years, he isn't a free agent until after 2021.
The Cubs basically print money, they're two years removed from a title, and they were considered something of a disappointment even though they won 95 games last season. That doesn't sound like a team that trades their franchise player. Their contention window remains wide open for the next couple of years at least, so even if they're concerned about him leaving in free agency (and hmmm, I honestly can't imagine why he might want to!), it's hard to fathom them moving him this winter.
The Cubs should, and almost certainly will, retain Bryant's services for 2019 and beyond. Fantasy owners should follow suit, as there are no red flags in his profile that suggest anything other than a season torpedoed by injury. His plate disciple metrics largely didn't budge, nor did his batted ball distribution. The only real problem last year was a decrease in authoritative contact, which can easily be laid at the feet of his shoulder issue.
Keep an eye on his performance in spring training just to rule out any lingering problems, but assuming he's fully healthy, Bryant should resume being one of the best players in baseball.
