The Cubs, Mets, As Prospects and Fixing the Service Clock

We all know by now that Kris Bryant is one of the top prospects in baseball. We also know that Bryant absolutely demolished Double-A and Triple-A pitching last season, knocking 43 home runs and posting an OPS above 1.000. Further, the rookie has made quick work of the pitching this Spring, sporting a .480 batting average and ridiculous 3.125 at-bats per home runs ratio. 

What does this all add up to? Well, one would think the young star’s performance and draft pedigree (2nd overall pick in 2013) easily puts him in the lead for a spot in Cubs Opening Day lineup. There seems to be a need for Bryant too, as Cubbies’ third basemen hit just .227 and struck out 176 times in 2014. 

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Not so fast though, most (including Bryant’s agent Scott Boras) see the youngster suiting up for Triple-A Iowa to start the 2015 season, where he should remain until the Super Two deadline passes and Chicago gains that coveted extra year of team control.

Boras has responded to the rumors by questioning Chicago’s desire to win. But despite the cries from a biased on looker, clearly a month or two without Bryant in his rookie season is far more ideal than a full year without him during his prime. Add the fact that Bryant reportedly needs defensive work at third (he posted only a .944 fielding percentage in ’14), and the decision to keep former first rounder in the minors looks like a sound baseball and business move for the Cubs. 

The real question, however, is why Major League Baseball is holding back the game’s brightest young stars from team’s fans. The MLB is already trying to speed up the game and create more excitement, why can’t the they see that restricting intriguing and youthful players from entering the big league fray is an absolute negative?

A month or two without Bryant in his rookie season is far more ideal than a full year without him during his prime

Kris Bryant is ready for the show, he’s shown that his entire professional career. The fact that baseball is basically robbing Cubs fans of the opportunity for an early look at their franchise cornerstone is appalling.

This isn’t just a case-spefiic problem: it’s happening all around baseball. In New York, the Mets plan on opening the year with veteran Dillon Gee manning the final rotation spot over top prospect Noah Syndergaard, certainly a decision based on the service clock rules and not talent. Drew Pomeranz, a leading candidate for the Oakland Athletics’s fifth starter competition, may be harbored in the minors for similar concerns. 

I understand that young players are often not ready to make the huge jump to the major leagues, and that there needs to be a deciding deadline on the arbitration eligibility and service clock of MLB players. 

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However, in an age where franchises struggle to find quality free agent talent and therefore consistently attempt to prolong the control of their young players, there really is no decision in regards to choosing between the future and the here and now. What franchise prefers a month of a player’s rookie season over a year of his prime? 

The Players’ Association needs to hold a meeting with the Commissioner and reform the service clock rules. Young talent excites fanbases and brings new, intrigued crowds to the stands of desperate team. Just look at what Bryce Harper and Steven Strasburg did to the Nationals once they reached our nation’s capital.

Bryant, Syndergaard, and Pomeranz should all be major leaguers on Opening Day, but likely none of them will. Clearly, it’s time for reform.