Rounding Third: Bryant needs to be patient

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – A lot of people think the Chicago Cubs are poised for their first playoff appearance since 2008.

And if the Cubs do go from a last-place NL Central finish in 2014 to a postseason spot this year, super prospect Kris Bryant may be right in the middle of it.

Just don’t bet on him being in the thick of things from the start.

To nobody’s surprise the Cubs plan on sending Bryant to Triple-A Iowa to start the season. Considering he’s never played a game at the big-league level, you could probably make the case that he needs a little more seasoning, especially from a defensive standpoint.

It doesn’t take a Hall of Fame scout, though, to realize he is more than ready offensively. Bryant leads all major leaguers with six home runs this spring. In fact, should that be the case at the end of the Cactus and Grapefruit League schedules, Bryant would become the first player to hold that distinction without heading north with a team.

But Bryant being demoted has nothing to do with ability. It’s about money.

If Bryant is not on the Cubs roster on Opening Night at Wrigley Field and sits in Iowa until at least the middle of April his service time clock won’t count for an entire year, meaning he’ll be under team control an extra full season.

Look, it happens. Better players than Bryant had to endure it and this certainly won’t be the last time it happens. But Bryant’s big spring comes on the heels of a season in the minors that saw him hit .325 with 43 home runs and 110 RBI at Double-A Tennessee and Iowa.

So, you can kind of understand his agent’s frustration. But that frustration goes in one ear and out the other when you realize the agent in question is Scott Boras, who more than likely was looking to serve his own interests rather than Bryant’s when he lashed out at the Cubs publicly this week in an interview with USA Today.

“You are damaging the ethics and brand of Major League Baseball,” Boras said. “Kris Bryant has extraordinary skills. Kris Bryant is a superstar. He has distinguished himself from all players at every level he’s played.

“Everybody in baseball is saying he’s a major-league player ready for the big leagues. I have players call me. Executives call me. The Cubs’ people want him there. Everyone says, ‘They cannot send this guy down.’ It’s too obvious.

“This isn’t a system choice. This isn’t a mandate. This is a flat ownership decision. Do they really want to win here?”

Cubs president Theo Epstein responded to Boras to Fox Sports.

“Kris Bryant’s development path has absolutely nothing to do with ownership, period. As with all our baseball decisions, I will determine where Kris begins the 2015 season after consulting with members of our baseball operations staff,” Epstein said. “Comments from agents, media members and anybody outside our organization will be ignored.”

Shockingly, the best interests of a sports agent and team management don’t necessarily jibe.

Look, if the Cubs really wanted to play service time game with Bryant they could wait until around Memorial Day to promote him and put off arbitration for an extra year with him.

At some point down the line Bryant will have the hammer. And when that happens do you think Boras is going to cut the Cubs a break then, regardless of what would have happened in this situation?

If Bryant is as good as everyone thinks he is this extra year will be a moot point. He’ll get his money.

Look at what the Miami Marlins are doing with their young stars. They signed Giancarlo Stanton to a monster 13-year, $325 million deal and are now closing in on a seven-year pact with Christian Yelich after just two seasons.

And you better believe a contract for Jose Fernandez isn’t too far off.

Bryant, meanwhile, is taking all this nonsense in stride, standing behind both his agent and the team.

“First, the ownership has been great to me,” Bryant said. “Drafting me second overall, treating me with nothing but first class. I’ve had a great time. (Cubs chairman) Tom (Ricketts) has been great to me. Everyone in the front office has been great to me. I have nothing but good things to say about them.

“But at the same time, I’m hearing from my teammates they want me up and I’m doing well and everyone is telling me I’m progressing well, and it’s sending mixed messages to me. But it’s definitely refreshing to hear from my teammates that they want me up there and even other coaches that I know personally from around the (Arizona) Fall League and telling me how well I’m doing so. I definitely don’t let it get to my head. I really got a job to do on the field, but it’s definitely nice to hear that from your teammates and peers around.”

There is no doubt Bryant is coming. It just may take a little longer than he, his agent, or the fans in Chicago would have hoped.

Categorized in: MLB

Tags: Chicago, Chicago Cubs, Cubs