(670 The Score) The iconic Bryzzo tandem will watch from the dugout when the Cubs take the field against the Reds at Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon for their final game before the trade deadline that awaits Friday.
Cubs star infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo are each out of the starting lineup Thursday. Both have continued to land in trade speculation in recent days as the Cubs come to grips with a reckoning and engage in a selling process in a season in which they've fallen out of contention.
Cubs manager David Ross chose to sit Bryant and Rizzo because it's still his job "to take care of my players," he said. Of course, Ross understood that their absence from the lineup would be viewed through the prism of trade speculation.
"Both these guys understood this (off day) was coming anyways," Ross said. "I'd talked to both of them about it. They know the situation ... it could be their last home game and all that. Everybody's fine with what's going on. They need a break. Shoot, they've been pushing it hard."
The Mets, Phillies, Giants and Rays are among the teams that have been connected to Bryant, whose strong bat and defensive versatility make him appealing to virtually every contender. Rizzo's name has been tied primarily to the AL East-leading Red Sox, the organization that originally drafted him.
Cubs shortstop Javier Baez has returned to the lineup Thursday after sitting out with a heel ailment the last couple days. Like Bryant and Rizzo, Baez is set to be a free agent at season's end, making him a potential trade chip, but his name hasn't landed in the rumor mill as much lately.
