San Francisco Giants Trade For Chicago Cubs All-Star Kris Bryant
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco Giants have traded for All-Star Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs, the team confirmed Friday.
Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP and four-time All-Star has been the face of the Cubs since 2015 when he was the NL Rookie of the Year. The versatile third baseman/outfielder led the Cubs to the team's first World Series championship in 2016.
ESPN reporter Jeff Passan first announced news of the trade. The Giants traded to Chicago two prospects, outfielder Alexander Canario and pitcher Caleb Kilian.
Bryant will qualify for free agency at the end of the season. With Chicago 11.5 games out of first with a sub-500 record, he is part of a fire sale of the franchise's most recognized players. First baseman Anthony Rizzo was dealt to the New York Yankees on Thursday. On Friday, Chicago also dealt closer Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox, along with shortstop Javier Baez and starting pitcher Trevor Williams to the New York Mets.
The Giants hope Bryant is one of the final pieces to a team that has surprisingly maintained a hold on first place in the NL West for most of the season, even as San Francisco has been plagued by injuries to key starters.
This season has seen Bryant improve from a disappointing 2020 campaign, now hitting .267/.358/.503 (133 OPS+) with 18 home runs. Bryant will add another big bat to a Giants lineup that leads the league in home runs and OPS.
San Francisco leads the NL West by 3 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers entering Friday's games.
