Disheartened Kris Bryant Not Considering Retirement Despite Persistent Back Pain

AP Photo/David ZalubowskiKris Bryant was the best Cubs prospect since Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, and he more than made good on the hype before ultimately seeing his career similarly derailed by injuries. Bryant began his MLB career on a Hall of Fame trajectory, following his 2015 Rookie of the Year campaign by earning MVP honors as the Cubs won the World Series. His 2017 season was better than 2016 in many regards, giving him three consecutive years of 6.0 fWAR or greater.

Injuries slowed him in 2018, but he bounced back with 31 homers the following season before a disappointing 2020 performance. Unable to work out an extension with the Cubs — that rumor about turning down “well north” of…