The San Francisco Giants just finished up a series against the Chicago Cubs, in which the Giants took 3 out of the 4 games they played. The whole time, I was just thinking about how great a fit Kris Bryant would be in orange and black.
Personally, I have been a huge fan of Bryant for years. Being from San Diego, and him being a University of San Diego alum, it only seemed fitting. He has been my go-to non-Giants favorite player in the league ahead of the 2016 World Series, and while we are on the subject, I would love to share a personal anecdote. Bryant has publicly raved about a local San Diego donut shop right at the bottom of the hill near USD, where they now have a banner dedicated to Bryant at their baseball field. In August of 2016, during a series where the Cubs were playing here in San Diego, I decided to pay the donut shop a visit in hopes to catch a glimpse of an incredible player. I ended up meeting Bryant’s mom and she and I got to chatting about baseball, obviously, and I told her I was a huge fan of her son despite being an avid Giants fan. I proceeded to tell her that I was absolutely positive the Cubs would win the World Series and that her son would be the National League MVP. She laughed but I assured her I was fully certain this would be the outcome. Sure enough, the Cubs would eliminate the Giants who just barely made the playoffs that year to my dismay, and would go on to fulfill my prediction.
Anyways, the point is — I have been a fan of his for a long time. But now, more than ever, it seems like his coming to San Francisco could be a genuine possibility. As we have reported here on Sports Rants, Bryant is a free agent after this season, after an extension failed to be reached between him and Chicago. Of course, there will be tons of teams after this season waiting to get ahold of him, but I will now state my case as to why he should become a San Francisco Giant:
For starters, the Giants’ General Manager Scott Harris was in the Cubs’ front office for seven years, including back in 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series. He obviously knows Bryant, and that sort of familiarity could be comforting for a player like Bryant, who would be going to his second Major League club.
Secondly, let’s take a look at the Giants’ current third baseman situation. Evan Longoria is signed through 2022 but has unfortunately been plagued by injuries. Bryant has had his fair share of injuries as well, but Longoria will be 36 going into 2022, and Bryant will be 30. Of course, there is still some time ahead of us before a potential deal could actually happen, but Longoria just got back on the injured list during this Cubs series. He is currently expected to be out for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder sprain, but even Longoria said he still was unsure of an exact timetable. Depth-wise, the Giants also have third basemen like WIlmor Flores and Jason Vosler, but obviously, Bryant would be the elite choice. With all that being said, the Giants are definitely in the market for a top-tier third baseman.
Lastly, let’s look at the actual logistics of how a deal like this would work out. Again, he will be 30 going into the 2022 season and has injury concerns. With that being said, he is definitely not expected to get a crazy blockbuster contract, but clearly, he still comes with a big price tag. According to Spotrac, Bryant’s market value would put him at 6 years for $147.9M. Considering the outrageous contracts we have seen as of late, I would think he might be closer to Anthony Rendon’s contract of 7 years for $245M. He was 29 when that contract was signed, and he has similar accolades to Bryant. Rendon is a one-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner, and World Series champion. In comparison, Bryant is a three-time All-Star, NL MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a World Series champion. Regardless, the Giants can afford his contract. Their payroll is far less than division-rival Dodgers, who also have the highest payroll in the league. For the 2021 season, their payroll is actually just a couple million above that of the Chicago Cubs payroll.
Bryant would also bring a renewed star-power to a team like the Giants that definitely still has nostalgic and upcoming stars, but Bryant would be the most current prime player. The Giants have also performed well above a lot of people’s expectations, including that of fans like myself. Not to mention, they are still currently tied for the best record in all of Major League Baseball at the time this is published.
With all that being said, let’s get Kris Bryant to San Francisco.
