It's the age-old question Major League Baseball teams have come to ask themselves when a super prospect is on the cusp of making the big club during Spring Training.
Do they allow the kid to come north with the big club, or do they do the smart thing and not start the clock? For the Chicago Cubs, their handling of stud youngster Kris Bryant has not been taken to all that kindly by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
According to CBS Sports, the MLBPA issued a statement after Bryant was reassigned to the Minor Leagues today.
"Today is a bad day for baseball. I think we all know that even if Kris Bryant were a combination of the greatest players to play our game, and perhaps he will be before it's all said and done, the Cubs still would have made the decision they made today. This decision, and other similar decisions made by clubs will be addressed in litigation, bargaining or both."
The reason clubs are faced with the situation of holding back youngsters who deserve to be in the majors is simply due to the inner-workings of free agency. By not having Bryant play in a Major League game until about two-weeks into the season, they'll be in control of him until he's 29, instead of 28.
Only two-weeks guarantees them another full year of control - before he can officially become a free agent for the first time.
Based on his Spring Training stats over the past month, Bryant is a can't miss Major Leaguer. He's currently smashed a ridiculous nine home runs with a sensational 1.652 OPS in 14 games. Additionally, he led the minors with 43 home runs in 2014, via Baseball Reference.
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