No trades, but Bryant thinking about life after the Cubs
Manager David Ross shared the same feeling many Cubs fans probably have right now, as the clock slowly ticks down to Friday's MLB trade deadline.
"Yes, I definitely can't wait till Friday," Ross said before Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Cincinnati.
That sentiment probably goes double for a player like Kris Bryant. Ross might get fired from this job someday, but he won't be traded. Bryant, who homered in the ninth inning, was described as "good as gone" recently in an espn.com story.
After the game, Bryant was asked if he's savoring every moment at Wrigley Field this week, knowing his Cubs career could end soon.
"Yeah, I don't hold the future, but I'm sure there will be a time that I'll be back too," Bryant said. "Plenty of great moments here and probably plenty more to come. Maybe when I'm retired, I always said I wouldn't sing the 7th inning stretch. Maybe throw out the first pitch.
"But no, I don't know. Some of the stuff is just is exhausting, it really is. I'm just trying to do my best to keep my focus where it needs to be and help whoever I can along the way here and just take everything in stride and whatever happens, it's out of my control."
One trade rumor to hit the market late Tuesday from MLB Network Analyst Jon Morosi was San Francisco looking at Bryant in a trade for highly-ranked catching prospect Joey Bart.
"It's part of the game, part of the cycle of baseball and I think anybody who's involved in the rumors are having as good a time with it as you can," Bryant said. "Like I said, you can't control it. Anytime a rumor pops up, I say I'm going here and Riz is going there and I'm like, 'Hey, we'll still be playing against each other.'
"Whatever. You can't sit there and just sulk or whatever it may be. You can't think about it nonstop, then you go crazy and it takes away from what you do on the field. I've been through that early on, in '18, '19, '20, I let it kind of bubble up and pay more attention to it in a negative way. Now for me, it's taking whatever in stride and saying I can't control any of this. So there's no need to stress about it or worry about it or all those bad things that come with anxiety and worry."
Before the game, Bryant told The Athletic he would consider signing with the Cubs as a free agent this winter even if the Cubs trade him this week. He expanded on that thought afterward.
"I feel like I've always been really consistent in that," he said. "Sometimes the narrative out there has never been right and it's been frustrating fro me to see some of that. But deep down in my heart, I know I've had some of the best memories here and some of the best times of my life.
"It would be stupid of me to say; if they wanted me here, of course I'm always going to listen. Chicago is a special place."
The game itself wasn't tough to analyze. Cubs starter Adbert Alzolay has been trying to solve problems he's had against left-handed hitters. But two lefties hit 3 home runs, Joey Votto twice and Jesse Winker once, increasing Alzolay's home run ratio this year to 19 by left-handed hitters and 4 to right-handers.
Anthony Rizzo homered for the third straight day, a 2-run shot in the first inning. But the Cubs didn't score again until Bryant and Patrick Wisdom homered in the ninth.
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