Kris Bryant should be the centerpiece of next Giants core
SAN FRANCISCO — During a 7-5 win over the New York Mets on Monday, slugger Kris Bryant showed fans at Oracle Park exactly why the Giants’ front office made him their top trade deadline target.
The right-handed power hitter launched a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, crushed another in the seventh inning and moved from right field to left field when the Giants brought in LaMonte Wade Jr. as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement.
“He’s a really good right-handed power bat,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said Monday. “He’s a former MVP winner, so he’s obviously a big piece of our team now and I think he showed that tonight by being able to hit a couple of homers, play left field, play right field. With his versatility, his athleticism and hitting ability, he’s a big piece for our team.”
Bryant was out of the lineup Tuesday due to hamstring tightness, but in his next start for the Giants on Wednesday, he played third base. Since debuting with the club on August 1, he’s also made a start in center field and played both the infield and outfield in five of his 15 games with the Giants.
Bryant isn’t a Gold Glove defender at any individual position, but he’s an above-average athlete and boasts a strong arm to go with an adequate glove. The 29-year-old with an MVP award in his back pocket could have settled into a specific position early in his career, but he’s prioritized defensive versatility in an effort to make himself a more valuable player and give his teams, the Cubs and now the Giants, better chances to win.
“Being able to play left field, right field, third base, he can really hop around and play wherever you want him to play,” Giants starter Kevin Gausman said. “From day one, him walking in the clubhouse, another guy who has won a World Series championship, that experience along with the MVP and Rookie of the Year, all of those accolades, everyone just really respected him even before he walked in the door and I think he’s done a good job of keeping everybody on his side.”
From the moment Bryant was acquired in a trade that sent prospects Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian to the Cubs, the four-time All-Star has gushed about how much he enjoys his new organization, how impressed he’s been with Giants fans and how great of a fit San Francisco is for his family.
When Crawford signed a two-year, $32 million extension to remain with the Giants into 2023, fans naturally wondered which other pending free agents might choose to stay with the franchise beyond this season. Outside of catcher Buster Posey, who is a lock to remain in San Francisco if he wants to continue his career beyond this season, Bryant is probably the most logical fit for the Giants given his skill set and desire to play for a contender.
“I know it’s all super new to me, the whole being here and playing with these guys, but there’s just something that’s a little different about it,” Bryant said. “It feels right. They’re just really good people. They put their head down, they go to work, they’re not flashy and I kind of see myself as that type of player too.”
If president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler hope to build upon the Giants’ 2021 regular-season success, Bryant appears to be the perfect centerpiece for the team’s future core.
The Giants have already seen how players such as Posey and Crawford can anchor a
lineup into their mid-30s, and Bryant has the track record that suggests he’s capable of hitting in the heart of the order for years to come. Aside from his MVP pedigree and World Series experience, Bryant is also the perfect model for what Zaidi and Kapler hope their position players become.
With a career .378 on-base percentage and .508 slugging percentage, Bryant possesses the combination of elite plate discipline and natural power Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris have searched for to build the current Giants roster. With a glove that takes him all over the diamond and the willingness to move from position to position in the middle of a game, Bryant can be the example the Giants’ player development staff can point to for up-and-coming prospects looking to increase their versatility and subsequently, their chances of contributing to the major league team.