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When the Chicago Cubs drafted third baseman Kris Bryant with the second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, the team’s shortstop Starlin Castro had already made two All-Star appearances. Castro, along with first baseman Anthony Rizzo, were well on their way to becoming cornerstones of the franchise. While Rizzo is still very much a cornerstone of the organization, Castro is not, and Bryant is already on his way to replacing him.
First of all, Castro has been floated around in countless trade rumors, especially those involving the New York Mets. If the team is even considering trading him, they must no longer consider him a cornerstone of the franchise. They need starting pitching depth, and moving Castro might help them acquire it.
More importantly, Bryant is exceeding expectations at the major league level already. He was just named the NL’s Rookie of the Month for May, and he easily could add a Rookie of the Year trophy to his collection by the time his season is finished. The most impressive thing about Bryant so far has been his maturity. He’s seeing pitches and drawing walks, which is relatively rare for someone with as little experience as the 23-year-old.
This is in stark contrast to Castro. While Castro has been placed in some tricky situations off the field, his on-field performance has still been pretty immature. He’s not always into the game, and he has failed to improve his plate approach despite making multiple All-Star teams.
Both Bryant and Castro are good players, but it’s the rookie who is developing into the irreplaceable player for the Cubs. In fact, by August, Bryant could be the one of the two players who is still on the team.
