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Rozner: Cubs fans have to wait bit longer for Bryant

It is all the rage among Cubs fans.

Everyone wants to see Kris Bryant and they want to see him yesterday.

It's understandable. He's the No. 1 prospect in baseball and he could have played in the big leagues last summer.

It's hard to find anyone who would suggest otherwise, unless they happen to work in the Cubs' front office and have good financial reasons for wanting to avoid starting the clock on Bryant's service time.

It's the same reason Bryant probably won't begin this season in Chicago, and that's a notion that doesn't sit very well with agent Scott Boras.

“You can't have arbitrary elements of the business of the game impact the integrity of the game, and the priority is always to protect that,” Boras said. “The fact is this is a game where the best players in the world play, and when you exclude the best players knowingly and intentionally, you're not living up to the brand of Major League Baseball.”

By delaying his call-up about 10 days to two weeks, the Cubs will have, essentially, seven years of Bryant before he becomes a free agent, rather than the standard six.

It's a common ploy when teams still have control over a player, and especially when that player is expected to reach free agency before discussing a new contract. That control doesn't last long, only a couple of years, and it's a procedural weapon teams use while they have the chance.

In that regard, Boras was not surprised Bryant didn't see the big leagues in 2014.

“A player who's earned his way to the majors, hit 43 homers and is minor league player of the year? Look at history and see how a player like that has been treated,” Boras said. “But when you earn your way in this system, you should earn the rewards of the system.”

Another reward is arbitration and if the Cubs want to avoid an extra year of it, they'll need to wait about 60 days to call him up to be safe, ensuring Bryant doesn't reach super-two status after nearly three years in the big leagues. So during those seven years, he will be arbitration eligible three times instead of four.

How big is that? Well, if Bryant is as good as advertised, that could save the Cubs in the neighborhood of $20-30 million over the course of those four years. That's enough to sign a top-notch, free-agent pitcher for a year.

It may not be pleasant to hear as a Cubs fan — or a superagent — but it's the sort of fiscal responsibility that could make a big difference down the road.

“The integrity of the game is something we all have to be watchful of when we talk about what we owe the fans,” Boras argued. “What we have to do is make sure the game isn't artificial, to always promote the best players and let them play.

“Whenever we violate any of those covenants, it's a pox upon the game.”

Cubs president Theo Epstein isn't about to say out loud that he's doing it for contractual reasons, or that Bryant absolutely won't make the team, but if Epstein doesn't take advantage of the system while he can, he'd be negligent.

Still, Epstein can't admit there's a financial aspect to the decision, nor should he.

“Kris is so advanced mentally and so mature that it's easy to forget he's had less than 250 at-bats in Triple-A,” Epstein said. “As with all of our prospects, he has an individualized player plan that outlines areas for improvement as well as his tremendous strengths.

“There's no doubt he is very close to big-league ready, but he's doing a great job of keeping his head down and working to improve.”

If the 23-year-old Bryant is as good as Epstein thinks, and he plays the next six or seven years like Boras believes he will, the youngster will make hundreds of millions of dollars in his career, and by age 30 the machinations of the next few months will be immaterial and a distant memory.

“Kris is a smart guy and he's diligent,” Boras said. “If he gets sent down we'll play by the rules, of course. We're not gonna be the guilty party and he'll do what he's told and honor the CBA.

“He'll go down and play hard and get ready. That's who Kris Bryant is.”

What's not going to happen is an Evan Longoria deal. Six days into his big league career in 2008, the Rays signed Longoria to a six-year, $17.5 million contract with options for three more seasons.

Since then, Longoria has signed another team-friendly deal that Boras is not known for recommending, and Epstein probably knows better than to insult Boras with such a suggestion.

So in the meantime, both sides will play by the rules and watch to see just how big a star Bryant can become.

“He's a wonderful guy and great teammate. He plays hard and he's very well prepared,” Boras said. “He has incredible natural leverage and he's always calm and does his work unemotionally. He takes the ups and downs of game calmly and has a methodical approach to his career.

“He's humble, polite and genuine. Our game is fortunate to have someone of his character and extraordinary ability.”

Cubs fans can hardly wait — but they will have to wait a bit longer.

brozner@dailyherald.com

•Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.

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