Cubs Hoyer to discuss futures with Bryant, Baez, Rizzo

Jed Hoyer plans to chat with Kris Bryant about his future during spring training. Also on deck for the top baseball executive for the Chicago Cubs: similar discussions with Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo.

All three sluggers have contracts set to expire after this season, when they can become free agents. How much longer they remain in Chicago are big questions as the Cubs open spring training today in Arizona.

“I’d love to have that continuity with these guys going forward,” Hoyer said Tuesday. “Financially, it’s impossible for any team to be able to continue with that group.”

Chicago’s luxury tax payroll would have been $216 million last year had the full season been played, well above the tax threshold for the second straight year.

Bryant, Baez and Rizzo helped Chicago win the World Series in 2016, stopping a championship drought dating to 1908. The Cubs finished first in the NL Central last season and made the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. But they managed just one run over two games in a wild-card sweep by Miami.

Chicago hasn’t advanced in the post-season since reaching the NL Championship Series in 2017. A makeover is under way. And it’s not clear how much longer three of its biggest stars will remain with the team.

Bryant’s name, in particular, has come up in trade rumours. Hoyer said the Cubs have not engaged in talks with other clubs of late.

“We were involved in a lot of rumours this year,” Hoyer said. “Some were just completely inaccurate. And then I would say some were just sort of exaggerated — the seriousness of those discussions.”

But he also acknowledged more changes are coming, that the odds of retaining Bryant, Rizzo and Baez are slim. Bryant has a $19.5 million salary, Rizzo $16.5 million and Baez $11.65 million.

“We’ve said all along, very clearly, we’d like to keep some of these players,” Hoyer said. “That would be great. But it’s unrealistic to keep all of the players that were a significant part of 2016. That’s just a reality.”

Chicago made some major moves in the off-season.

Theo Epstein stepped down, and Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations.