Kris Bryant has been with the Chicago Cubs since April 17. A majority of his 45 games have been played at third base, but the 23-year-old has also logged four games in the outfield. Is there a chance he's moved there on a permanent basis at some point to make room for prospect Javier Baez?
Sure, there's a chance, but nobody really knows for sure. Rumors over the past few months as well as comments from president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon suggest such a possibility, but at this point it's all speculation.
However, there has been talk about Bryant playing some outfield since the offseason and the Cubs' surplus of middle infielders, assuming Epstein doesn't trade any of them, points to a potential position change for the current third baseman. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times supports that notion.
"Maddon stressed Bryant's shift to left on Tuesday was about a one-day process of making his lineup work without the services of [Jorge] Soler, and not necessarily a 'precursor' to anything.
"But middle infielder Javy Baez is expected back on the big-league roster before long ...
"And if the MRI Soler had Tuesday night shows enough damage to put him on the DL, the soft-clay form of this young lineup could soon get another reshaping before it hardens into anything close to its long-term identity.
"If that means Bryant becomes the regular left fielder, with one of the three 'shortstops' taking third (Baez, Starlin Castro or Addison Russell) - which has been part of internal discussions for months - he seems fine with it."
Baez had a rough 52-game stint with the Cubs last season, which spilled over into the offseason and spring training, but his resurgence at Triple-A Iowa this year has many speculating he could be back with the team very soon. The 22-year-old is batting .325/.397/.550 with 17 runs scored, 7 home runs, 26 RBIs and 6 stolen bases in 32 games since returning from his leave of absence following his sister's death. It's been said the team has no plans to give him reps at third base or in the outfield, indicating the Cubs like him as a middle infielder.
"Maddon got denied after lobbying hard for Baez to make the team out of spring training, calling him an elite infielder with a strong arm, good instincts and game-changing speed," writes Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. "There's a feeling inside the organization that Baez could help strengthen the team's up-the-middle defense."
Chicago may promote Baez soon, but it'll likely be in a different capacity.
"Interleague play in American League parks is one week away for the Cubs, who are considering roster adjustments to take advantage of the designated hitter rule," writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Baez and prospect Kyle Schwarber are potential candidates to take over a roster spot during that stretch of games. It's likely Baez gets the call if the team were to make such a move because he has prior MLB experience and has gotten his hitting back on track. Also, Mooney notes it would be "out of character" for the front office to rush Schwarber, who has yet to play a game above Double-A.
Perhaps the Cubs promote Baez to see how he does as a DH before making a decision on him remaining with the team on a longer-term basis. If he gets called up and manages to prove he's capable of making better contact and striking out less at the major league level then maybe the club considers moving Bryant to the outfield and shifting around Baez, Castro and Russell in the infield.
We'll get a better idea of the team's plans by next week or the week after. They have a two-game set against the Tigers next Tuesday and Wednesday, but then begin a four-game series against the Indians on June 15 and follow that with a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins.
