Former MVP Kris Bryant has officially lost his playing time grievance against the Chicago Cubs. Bryant argued that the Cubs demoted him to the minor leagues in 2015 in order to postpone his free agency for a year.
Fox’s Ken Rosenthal reported the loss and the potential effect on the collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday morning.
No surprise #Cubs prevailed over Bryant in service-time grievance, as first reported by @JeffPassan. Decision, however, is still quite meaningful, setting the stage for the service-time question to be a point of contention in next CBA negotiations.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 29, 2020
Bryant was named Rookie of the Year in 2015, the same year he mentions in his grievance. The next season he was named National League MVP while playing for the league-best Chicago Cubs. The Cubs also won their first World Series in 108 years in 2016.
A three-time All-Star, Bryant will be a huge piece in a potential trade for the Cubbies. This is why winning the grievance was so important for both parties. Now that Chicago has won, they can trade him and receive capital in return instead of losing him for nothing, which could happen if he hit free agency.
Apparently, Kris Bryant holds “no ill will” towards the club after the arbitrator named him the loser. He had the second-highest batting average of his career in 2019, at .282 to go along with 31 home runs. It is unclear exactly when the Cubs may trade him, but a deal is probable, as winning the grievance would not mean much if they allow him to hit free agency in 2021.
Featured Image courtesy of Gregory Bull/Associated Press
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