The Kris Bryant era in San Francisco was short lived.
The third baseman / utility player who was acquired in a midseason trade by the Giants is heading to Colorado according to multiple reports. Bryant is joining the NL West division rival Rockies on a massive seven-year, $182 million deal according to Jeff Passan. Bryant will replace the hole at third base left by Nolan Arenado who left Colorado for St. Louis last offseason.
Reports were that the Giants were interested in keeping Bryant on the right deal, clearly one that was for less money and years than the Rockies shelled out.
Bryant is in someways the prototypical type of player that Farhan Zaidi values — an extremely versatile defensive player that can move up and down the lineup. Yet Bryant was simply above average during his time in SF, rather than a star. He slashed .262/.344/.444 at the plate in 51 games, which over an entire season would have been the second-worst hitting season of his career.
The Giants made the midseason trade for Bryant as a win now maneuver in 2021. Though primarily a third baseman, Bryant played in the outfield and first base for the Giants, especially when Evan Longoria was healthy. Longoria will be back in 2021, but the Giants’ need for another infielder and outfielder (as Farhan Zaidi said on KNBR Tuesday) just got more serious.
The good news? The Dodgers will have to face Bryant for six straight games to close the season.