RUMOR Out of Atlanta: Cubs Want Three of Anderson, Waters, Riley, and Wright from Braves for Kris Bryant

There’s nothing hot and heavy on the Kris Bryant trade front right now while the service time grievance is decided by an arbitrator – a decision that might still take multiple more weeks – but there is a rumor coming out of Atlanta that I think definitely merits some discussion today.

Various grains of salt are necessary here, as you would take them with any talk radio report. That is to not say that sports talk radio personalities don’t have inside information – sometimes they do! – but the threshold for chatting about a rumor on your show has always been lower than, for example, what a national baseball reporter would put out there. The sourcing and the layers of vetting are simply different.

Still, this is so very specific – and coming out of Atlanta from a guest who was brought on specifically to talk Braves hot stove – that it’s worth sharing here, with all appropriate caveats, for our discussion:

As Paul Crane says, he’s been told – by an Atlanta source, I would presume? – that, pending Bryant losing his service time grievance, the Cubs have shown “great interest in the Braves’ minor leagues,” and the Cubs have “already told the Braves” they would make a trade with the Braves for Bryant if they could get any three of these four: RHP Ian Anderson, OF/3B Austin Riley, OF Drew Waters, and RHP Kyle Wright.

(Note that Crane, by his public presence, seems to be more of a football guy than a baseball guy, though I suppose that could cut both ways – maybe that means he has no idea what he’s talking about at all, or maybe it means he’s more likely to pass on specific names that he hears, since he’s not really able to concoct them himself. Especially when it looks, on its face, to be a pretty plausible rumor.)

If the Cubs were looking primarily at prospects in a Bryant trade, the Braves would obviously be the best fit for a trade partner, and these are certainly among the top-ranked names they’d be looking at. But it’s very interesting to me that these four names, specifically, are listed, when it’s not as if it’s just someone grabbing the top four prospects off of a list. For one thing, top prospect Cristian Pache is not mentioned (why wouldn’t the Cubs want him included, unless they knew that just wasn’t going to happen?). For another, why Austin Riley, and not a true prospect? Why Kyle Wright (only some big league service) and not a young big league arm like Max Fried or Sean Newcomb?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying the Cubs would be obviously mistaken to target those four particular names. I’m saying only that, as an outsider, I wouldn’t necessarily immediately point to those four … which makes me kinda wonder if there’s a little veracity here.

Could this kind of trade actually happen? Well, it would certainly be an on-paper haul for the Cubs, of the kind you’d expect them to get if they were going to part with two years of Kris Bryant at this juncture. So, yes, this *kind* of trade could happen.

  • Anderson, the number three overall pick in 2016, has already dominated at AA in his age 20 season, and is a consensus top 30 prospect in baseball. I get the sense that he’ll be much higher when the new rankings come out at the end of the offseason. He’s a stud – the kind of pitching prospect the Cubs haven’t had in a very long time.
  • Waters, the 41st overall pick in 2017, reached AAA in just his second full pro season at age 20, and he’s also a consensus top 30 prospect. He’s got a lot of speed and great outfield defense, but his strikeout rate at AAA went through the roof. I guess I can cut him some slack given his age and inexperience, though. Loads to like as a potential center fielder of the future.
  • Wright, who just turned 24, was the 5th overall pick in 2017, and got a cup of coffee in the big leagues in just his first full professional season. He’s a consensus top 40 prospect in the game, and is likely big-league ready.
  • And then there’s Riley, who was a consensus top 40 prospect in the game until he graduated this past year, as a 22-year-old big leaguer. You may recall that he started off crazy hot, but the league quickly found his holes, and he was a disaster (40+% strikeout rate) by his second month. I’m not sure that’d be a reason not to want him, as many top young players go through that process in their early 20s, especially when they are huge swing-and-miss-but-hit-the-shit-out-of-the-ball types like Riley.
  • Three of those four in exchange for two arbitration years of a player like Bryant? Yes, on paper, that does seem like an equitable swap.

    But … do we actually buy any of this as a serious rumor?

    Well, like I said, there’s an air of plausibility here. I think I’ve developed a pretty good BS detector for rumors over the years, and although most rumors are exactly that, the names in this one – given the context and the circumstances of the two teams – mentally fit for me. I could see the Braves pushing Riley, since they wouldn’t have a spot for him, and I could see the Cubs pushing for Waters (given the long-term need) and near-big-league-ready pitching prospects rather than established arms, if they’re punting on 2020 anyway.

    In a world where the Cubs landed one three of these four (especially if Anderson were included), it’s not at all hard to imagine that, for what they would lose in 2020, the Cubs could actually be much better in 2021 (and much, much better positioned in 2022+, when they might have no longer had Bryant anyway). Yes, I can see this from the Cubs’ perspective, particularly if they believe it is necessary to take a “step back” in 2020, and if they believe they won’t sign Bryant to an extension no matter what.

    That is to say, yes, I could see these being real conversations between the teams, and yes, I could see it being real that the Cubs – pending the service time grievance and pending Josh Donaldson’s free agent decision – would want three of these four players. I could also see the Braves, wanting to max out over the next two years, being willing to move guys from this group because of organizational redundancy (ah, remember what it was like to have an absolutely loaded farm system?). I’m not saying they’d definitely do it, and I’m not sure they would include Anderson in any case, but again, I’m just saying, this has an air of plausibility to it. That’s the phrase I land on.

    Much like when the Braves first came onto the radar as a Bryant suitor, there’s just a sense of a “fit” here. I can’t say I know anything special about this particular rumor. I don’t. But, on its face, it makes sense.

    I guess we’ll see what happens when Donaldson signs, and/or when Bryant’s grievance comes to a conclusion.

    (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

    Michael Cerami contributed to this post.

    written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Finally, a Team Wanted the Reigning NL Cy Young Winner

    The rumors all wound up being true: Blake Snell would take a two-year deal in the $60 million range, the Giants were probably the favorites now, and the pressure was on to get something done. Per Jon Heyman, it two...

    Blake Snell’s Reasonable Price Tag? Why Jordan Montgomery Might Wait a Little Longer?

    A couple updates on the top remaining - yup, still - free agent starting pitchers, lefties Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Although rumors picked up on Snell and the Astros late last week, no signing news dropped. It was surprising,...

    Garrett Crochet Will Start on Opening Day for the White Sox, Marking an Extreme Rarity

    We don't cover the White Sox around here in a particularly close way - maybe a touch more than other non-NL-Central clubs because of the intracity interest - but this was surprising and interesting enough for me to note. The...

    Chicago Cubs Shortstop Prospect Jefferson Rojas Wants to Be Javy Báez

    I haven’t exactly made it a secret that Jefferson Rojas is one of my favorite prospects in the Chicago Cubs’ farm system. After debuting in the DSL at 17, Rojas skipped complex ball and wound up at Low-A Myrtle Beach...

    Taillon Throwing and a Roster Benefit, Amaya Catching, Friedl Wrist, Williams, Alonso, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know, if Seiya really rakes, and Cody hits again, and if Nico and Happ get on base a ton and Busch turns out to be a stud, and if Dansby is above average and Amaya breaks out and Morel...

    Spring Training Miscellany: Celebrate With a Green Beer, Happ Returns, Assad Solid, Cubs Win

    The Cubs won their St. Patrick's Day game over the Rangers 8-6 today, and it's time to tip back a green one in celebration ... About what you'd want to see from Javier Assad today as he continues to stretch...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: Ian Happ is Back!

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse this Chicago Cubs lineup? Don't miss out! For a limited time only, RECEIVE 10% OFF your...

    The Third Cut Includes Mervis, Four Others

    (Hear the song in your mind - it still fits!) The Chicago Cubs made their next set of cuts from big league camp today, sending out five players who were generally not expected to make the Opening Day roster. The...

    Spring Leaders, Key Injuries, Rays Payroll, Luck of the Irish, and Other Cubs Bullets

    A mighty fine St. Patrick's Day to you all. Although I've got a good bit of Irish in my blood, it's never been something I've connected to all that much. You can't really force it, but I kinda want to...

    Spring Training Miscellany: Cubs Sweep the Split-Squad Day

    It was a split-squad day for the Cubs today, and they won both by a total of two runs. It was 4-3 over the Angels and 8-7 over the Royals. The only teams with a better spring record than the...

    Latest News

    Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves (47-21) are underdogs (+7) as they try to build on a three-game win streak when they host the Denver Nuggets (47-21) at 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Target Center. The game airs on...

    Mavericks vs. Spurs Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

    Southwest Division opponents square off when the Dallas Mavericks (39-29) visit the San Antonio Spurs (15-53) at AT&T Center, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The Mavericks are 8.5-point favorites in the game, the fourth...

    Pelicans vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

    The Brooklyn Nets (26-42) will try to break a three-game losing streak when they host the New Orleans Pelicans (41-26) on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Barclays Center as 8.5-point underdogs. The matchup airs at 7:30 PM ET on YES....

    Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves (47-21) are 7-point underdogs as they try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Denver Nuggets (47-21) on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Target Center. The contest airs at 9:00 PM ET on NBA....

    Canucks vs. Sabres Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

    The Vancouver Canucks are -198 on the moneyline against the Buffalo Sabres (+164) on Tuesday, with this game being played at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.Canucks vs. Sabres Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Canucks (-198)Underdog: Sabres (+164)Total: 6Best Canucks vs. Sabres Promo Codes[lasso...

    OH MY: ANTHONY EDWARDS JUST HAD THE BEST DUNK OF THE YEAR

    Anthony Edwards has done it again. The emerging Minnesota Timberwolves superstar jammed the most impressive poster dunk of the season against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pushing the pace in transition during the third quarter, Edwards passed the ball...

    De’Aaron Fox Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, De'Aaron Fox must make three from beyond the arc on Monday, when his Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies, tipping off at 10:00 PM ET.De'Aaron Fox's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesDe'Aaron Fox's over/under for...

    Malik Monk Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

    Will Malik Monk make three 3-pointers when the Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 10:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Malik Monk's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesMalik Monk's over/under for three-pointers...

    Bogdan Bogdanovic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – Monday, March 18, 2024

    At 10:30 PM ET on Monday, it'll be the Atlanta Hawks against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Bogdan Bogdanovic needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer prop.Bogdan Bogdanovic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the LakersBogdan Bogdanovic's over/under for three-pointers in this...

    Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks at 10:30 PM ET on Monday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires just one make from Anthony Davis.Anthony Davis' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksAnthony Davis' over/under...

    more cubs news