According to a variety of reports that appear to have originated with Ryan Larrondo out of Boise (later confirmed by Wayne Randazzo as well as Jesse Rogers), the Cubs’ top pick in the 2013 Draft, and one of the top prospects in the system, Kris Bryant is headed to the Daytona Cubs. For their part, the Cubs aren’t confirming the move just yet, per Bruce Miles. (UPDATE: Cubs have confirmed.)
The promotion will take him from short season low-A to High-A, skipping the Kane County Cougars in the process. I’m sure that’s a bummer for locals who wanted to get a look at Bryant, but organizationally, it’s the right move. First, Bryant is so clearly not challenged at Boise (.354/.416/.692) that it’s hard to see the college slugger being challenged at Kane County, either. Second, Jeimer Candelario is currently starting at third base for KC, and he’s a legitimate prospect in his own right. Because Candelario probably isn’t ready for High-A, this allows both players to keep getting regular starts.
Bryant will get a few weeks in Daytona – and play in the playoffs – to round out the season and prepare for 2014. Fall or Winter ball remains a possibility, but, either way, we’ll likely see him come to Spring Training with the Cubs. Next year, starting out at High-A with an eye toward a midseason AA promotion seems like a reasonable expectation for Bryant.
Hopefully he hits well in his High-A cup of coffee.