An unexpected twist
Bryant looking ahead to Harper-less Cubs team
Where’s Bryce Harper? “He’s not signing here,” a smiling Kris Bryant said when asked about his fellow Las Vegas native and friend before the opening ceremony of the Cubs Convention on Friday night at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.
For the record, Bryant never asked Harper about his future plans despite the two frequently appearing in photos together on social media, Harper having a dog named Wrigley and speculation that the free agent would join the Cubs.
“I’m his friend,” Bryant said. “That’s his business, and it’s a good time for him and his family. I’m not going to be another one of the guys who asks him where he’s going to sign.”
Bryant, however, did say it was “really weird” and “not good” that Harper and Manny Machado — the other superstar free agent this offseason — haven’t signed with spring training less than a month away.
“Two of the best players in the game, and (teams) have very little interest in them, from what I hear,” Bryant said. “It’s not good. It’s something that’s going to have to change. I know a lot of the other players are upset about it.”
As for reasons, Bryant could only speculate.
“There are a lot of teams who have the money to spend, but they’re not doing it,” Bryant said. “It’s just very confusing. If I was an owner, president or general manager, I would love to have Bryce Harper or Manny Machado on my team. It’s very frustrating to play against them. They’re the best talent out there, and it seems that there are only a few teams who want them.
“I’m putting myself in their shoes, and for them to not have (signed), I guess it could be disheartening for them. I know they’re making plenty of money, and it’s not about the greed. They’ve put in the work to warrant contracts that are worthy of it and they don’t have it yet.”
As Bryant, 26, gets closer to free agency after the 2021 season, his interest could rise.
“I feel it is my duty to pay attention to it,” Bryant said. “Where I am in my career and where we are as a team, it’s not on the forefront of my mind. But it’s definitely something all of us as baseball players should pay attention to.”
In the meantime, Bryant spoke confidently about returning to his 2016 National League Most Valuable Player form with a healthy left shoulder. He resumed swinging a bat Dec. 1, and videos the team released indicate he has no restrictions.
“I can’t say enough how good I feel,” said Bryant, who missed 50 games last season because of the shoulder injury.
Bryant didn’t seem bothered that the Cubs didn’t make a push for Harper, reinforcing his faith in a roster that added only infielder Daniel Descalso and picked up the $20 million option on left-hander Cole Hamels since last season’s quick playoff exit.
Healthy again, Bryant knows the Cubs are counting on him to produce like he did in his first three seasons, when he hit a combined 94 home runs with a .288 batting average and .388 on-base percent- age.
“My first three years, I’ll toot my horn a little bit,” Bryant said. “I was top three in MVP (voting) except the first year I was 11th. That’s what I expect out of myself without getting into my personal stats. I expect that every year. And there’s no reason to think I won’t do that.”
Bryant also defused a report that said he was partly to blame for the dismissal of hitting coach Chili Davis.
“I love Chili. He’s a great person,” Bryant said. “Our hitting philosophies didn’t mesh, and it’s totally OK. He was telling me stories about some of the hitting coaches he had while he played, and they didn’t match up with what he wanted to do.
“It’s refreshing to hear that because I don’t think he takes it personally. It just didn’t work out for us. There are no hard feelings. I wish him the best wherever he’s at. And we’re all going to be friends in contact with one another. It just didn’t work out.”