Cubs Trade Rumors: Execs Rip Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras Asking Prices

The Chicago Cubs have reportedly been open to trading their core players this offseason, but high asking prices have prevented any major deals from getting done.

According to David Kaplan of NBC Sports, executives around the league believe the team is especially looking for too much in return for Kris Bryant.

"The Cubs' asking price for Bryant is a joke," a former GM said. "They want nearly ready major league talent at the level of a Gleyber Torres type or close and there is no chance a team is going to give them a package of those caliber of players."

"The Cubs are trying to jump-start their team again and while I don't blame them for asking for a ton in return for Bryant, I don't believe they are going to get it," a current executive added.

The sources said a deal for a star like Javier Baez seems unlikely, while the team is also asking for an exorbitant return in exchange for Willson Contreras.

"[Contreras is] a really good player but the Cubs want a king's ransom for him and I don't see them getting that back," an executive said.

Contreras is coming off arguably the best season of his career, setting a new personal best with 24 home runs while hitting .272 with a .355 on-base percentage. The 27-year-old catcher earned his second straight All-Star selection this year and is under team control for three more seasons.

This obviously makes him a valuable commodity on the trade market, although it seems the asking price is still too high.

Meanwhile, Bryant is a tougher player to evaluate considering his inconsistency. The 28-year-old won an MVP award and Rookie of the Year in his first two years but has been up-and-down the last three seasons.

While the third baseman posted a .903 OPS with 31 home runs in 147 games last year, his 3.6 bWAR was easily the worst of his four healthy seasons.

He is also going to be pricey with a projected $18.5 million coming his way in arbitration in 2020, per MLB Trade Rumors.

With agent Scott Boras, Bryant will likely also command an expensive contract once he hits free agency after the 2021 season.

Any trade is a risky one, which means the asking price could be a serious holdup in trade talks.