Kris Bryant to the Washington Nationals?

Towards the end of last week, MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported that the Washington Nationals are interested in trading for the Chicago Cubs All-Star and Rookie of the Year third baseman: Kris Bryant.

From our perspective, one major subliming block that needs to be addressed is that Bryant only has one year left of team control. While this factor could lower the asking package for his services, if the Nationals could bring Bryant to D.C., the two parties should immediately enter contract negotiations and develop a long-term deal to keep Bryant in D.C. for the foreseeable future.

Before we dive into what the Washington Nationals would look like with Bryant at third base, we should also mention that Jon Morosi said the same trade rumor barely less than one year ago. There was speculation that the Cubs were interested in trading Bryant for Victor Robles or even a trade involving Carter Kieboom. However, things have changed from a Washington Nationals perspective and the Chicago Cubs perspective.

From the Chicago Cubs perspective,

Things have changed from the North Side of Chicago in a couple of weeks, let alone from last year. Multiple reports say that the Cubs are gearing up for a "heavy restart." With Theo Epstein moving on from the Cubs and Jed Hoyer, the new general manager, MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that "A number of rival executives around the league believe Hoyer will move a number of players in the coming months... The Cubs had been telling teams as much since the season ended, letting it be known that nearly anybody can be had if the right offer is there..." Bringing in players such as Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom might give the Cubs some young players under team control for a significant time. Robles still has four years of club control and won't be arb-eligible until after next season.

The Chicago Cubs aren't going to get anything resembling commensurate value if they opt to trade Bryant, who has just one year remaining at around $20 million, so a player like Victor Robles would provide a tremendous amount even if he doesn't reach his potential.

From the Washington Nationals perspective,

It is interesting to note that rumor's timing last season as the Nationals were trying to sign both Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg, both free agents. By leaking this possibility last year, the Nationals might have used that as a way to signal to Rendon that they are comfortable with moving on from him and not signing him to a big contract and could have been a smokescreen. Another thing that could have changed from a Nationals perspective is that the Nationals front office was banking on Keiboom fully developing into the full-time third baseman and the offensive threat they saw in the minors and briefly during 2019. If Kieboom made strides in development, the Nationals would have a long term solution at third base without giving up prospects for Bryant.

Still, maybe the Nationals front office didn't like what they saw from Kieboom and are now looking into some other reliable options at third base. Even though Keiboom can play multiple positions in the infield, either way, the Nationals need a third baseman and a bat to give much-needed protection to Juan Soto, and Bryant could solve both those issues.

Keep in mind that Bryant is one year away from free agency and had a down season and had an injury, so this year's asking price for Bryant might be significantly lower than last year's.

Lastly, one could consider this a "team" friendly free-agent market, so the Nationals could go out and find another option at third base at a price that they are comfortable with if Chicago asks too much for Bryant.

What would Kris Bryant Bring to the Nationals?

Let's go ahead and say everything works out and the Nationals and Chicago Cubs can make a trade. The Nationals can then work out a long-term contract with Bryant in the mold of what Mookie Betts and the LA Dodgers did; let's look at what Bryant could bring to the Nationals.

In the Field

Believe it or not, Bryant has played multiple positions in the field besides third base; however, if Bryant were to come to D.C., then we would hope that he would play the majority of the time at third base. However, during the 2019 season, Bryant did play in the outfield a bit, from playing left, center, and even right field. No matter what position Bryant has played, he has played been exceptionally well. Over his six seasons, Bryant has a .955 fielding percentage and has only committed 81 errors. If you take a look at his time at 3rd base, the stats are just as great. At third base, his fielding percentage is .950, and he has only made 74 errors. In 2018, Bryant committed a career-high of 18 errors at third base.

At the Plate

Just as crucial as Bryant's fielding is his presence at the plate. Bryant's stats are very impressive. During his six years in the majors, Bryant has a .280 batting average, an OPS of .889, and a slugging percentage of .508. Bryant has also hit a total of 414 RBI's, 142 Home runs, and has 38 stolen bases.

During the postseason, Bryant has also been impressive. In his ten playoff series appearances, Bryant has a batting average of .229. 16 RBI's, slugging percentage of .412, and an OPS of .705

What Would a Kris Bryant Contract Look Like?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, a significant hurdle needs to be addressed a contract extension. So, what would a Kris Bryant contract look like? Back in 2018, according to sources, Bryant turned down a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of $200 million, and Bryant earned a record $10.85 million in 2018, the highest salary a player has made in his first year of arbitration. According to Sports Trac, Bryant's market value is estimated at $24.5 million a season, and last year, Byrant earned around $18 million. With that information, we think that offering Bryant in the neighborhood of $245 million over seven years would make sense, which is similar to what Anthony Rendon signed with the Los Angeles Angels during the 2019-2020 offseason.

Conculsion

The Washington Nationals will benefit from having Bryant in the lineup and also at third base. Kris Bryant can provide the much-needed protection for Juan Soto and also be an asset in the infield.