Bryant's former team believes in his success

By James Hilchen / Special to MLB.com | 1:32 PM ET Iowa infielder Chris Valaika talked to Bryant before he left for Chicago, and Valaika has no doubts the 23-year-old third baseman will succeed.

"When we spoke, it was about just handling the moment, calm it down and let it happen," said Valaika, who make his big league debut with the Reds in 2010. "He's a great ballplayer. He won't have to do anything different. ... Just trust your instincts, and he will do what he did at every level."

Valaika does see challenges ahead for Bryant, but believes the rookie can handle them.

"Everything's escalated, the media presence doesn't go away, and the game is crisper -- it's the big leagues for a reason,"…