SF Giants: Three reasons Kris Bryant will not re-sign

At the July 30 MLB Trade Deadline, the SF Giants made a last-minute, bold move to acquire 3B/OF Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs. In the deal, the Giants gave up prospects Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian.

So far, Bryant has been a welcome addition to the Giants lineup. In just 12 games with the Giants, he has slashed .292/.346/.458 with one home run and four RBI in 52 plate appearances.

While Bryant brings strong offensive production to the table, he is also versatile in the field. As the team has gotten healthier over the last few weeks, Bryant has played all over the diamond. This should only continue when Evan Longoria returns. However, there are three reasons why Bryant will not be wearing the Orange and Black in 2022.

SF Giants: Three reasons Kris Bryant will not re-sign

1. Scott Boras Client

This is a big one. It is no secret that Boras represents the vast majority of the most talented players in baseball.

The SF Giants’ most recent dealings with Boras came in the 2018-19 offseason when Bryce Harper was the biggest fish on the market.

While the Giants were in on Harper in that offseason, Boras was able to push the Phillies to give his client a 13-year, $330 million deal. Just by Bryant being one of his clients, that means he’s going to want a massive deal in both years and average annual value (AAV).

However, if there were to be any glimmer of hope, Boras has one other client that will require a lot of money as well – Max Scherzer. After being traded, he will be looking for a new deal since his current contract expires after this season.

So, the hope is that Boras gets caught up with the Scherzer market and waits on Bryant’s new destination until afterward. I know this is not likely, but this could be the only way the price goes down. It is the only hope we have if Bryant does come back to San Francisco. The thing is, Boras deals with this every offseason, which makes this a very unlikely scenario.

The most recent contract we have to look back at from a Boras client that plays 3B is Anthony Rendon. In the 2019-20 offseason, Rendon received a massive seven-year, $245 Million deal from the Los Angeles Angels. This is just another example of Boras driving up the price and the team not getting anywhere near what they paid.

Had Byrant been represented by anyone else there would be a reason to have some confidence that he will re-sign. It is just not the case when Boras is the one representing him.

SF Giants: Three reasons Kris Bryant will not re-sign

3. A reunion with the Cubs?

While Bryant has said he was happy to be dealt over to the Giants, we cannot forget that he left open the possibility of returning to the team that drafted him.

It is also worth noting that Bryant also pointed out that he would not mind staying in San Francisco either. He also may have ruffled some feathers in Chicago by being critical of Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer.

If it comes down to the Cubs and Giants, that is good news. The only issue is that it could become a bidding war for Bryant, which we know the Giants will not want any part in. This is assuming a team like the Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, or Red Sox do not get involved, which is unlikely.

The other part about this is that Bryant could also be willing to take a hometown discount. The only issue with this is what team does he view as his hometown? After all, he is from Las Vegas, Nevada. Logic would say the SF Giants would be the hometown team. However, the allegiance with the Cubs would be more of a hometown discount.

Just looking forward, the Cubs are going to be one of the weaker teams in the league for the next few years. This could be a chance for Bryant to be like Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford who has experienced success with their organization before going through some down years only to now see the team have newfound success this season. This could be the blueprint that Bryant wants in Chicago.

These are just a few reasons why Kris Bryant will not be wearing a SF Giants uniform come next year. Make sure to enjoy Bryant while he lasts because he could very well be a rental. Ultimately, the ball is in Bryant and Boras’s court.