(670 The Score) Just as they were last offseason, the Mets have emerged as a leading suitor for Cubs infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant on the trade market.
And in the mind of Audacy Sports insider Jon Heyman, the Mets would be an ideal place for Bryant to play down the stretch of the 2021 season.
“I do think Bryant will go somewhere,” Heyman told hosts Joe Ostrowski and Cody Decker on BetQL Daily. “(The Cubs) were unable to get a deal with him, and I don’t think they’re going to try again at this point. He’s one of those players who likes the idea of free agency, nothing wrong with that. The Mets are a perfect fit. They’re a team that’s interested. There are several other teams, from what I understand, that are interested. One curiously that I heard was the Dodgers. I’m going to have to look into that, because I’m not sure how he fits the Dodgers. They have a very good third baseman (in Justin Turner). They have (Cody) Bellinger and (Mookie) Betts and (AJ) Pollack and others in the outfield. I mean, Bryant plays any position besides shortstop and catcher and probably second base, he’s maybe a little tall for second base. I’m not sure how he fits there. But I think there are a lot of teams that are going to show interest in him. He has an expiring contract, which is generally going to be a positive. The fact that he’s so versatile, he can play for almost any team basically out there.”
While the Cubs could receive a compensation draft pick if they keep Bryant and extend a qualifying offer that he declines, Heyman called it “very, very likely” that Bryant gets traded.
Bryant, 29, is hitting .271 with 16 homers, 46 RBIs and an .854 OPS in 81 games this season. He recently earned All-Star honors for the fourth time in his career.