Four-time All-Star Kris Bryant unlikely to return to Giants?

Kris Bryant’s time with the San Francisco Giants could end up lasting for all of three months.

The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly said Thursday on MLB Network that Bryant is unlikely to return to the Giants in free agency. Baggarly added on the air that the Giants were not particularly impressed with Bryant, especially defensively, and that the former NL MVP’s swing might not age well.

Baggarly later took to Twitter to clarify that the team was happy with what Bryant contributed and knows that he is a star. However, certain aspects of Bryant’s game underwhelmed. Baggarly also said in the clarification tweet that Bryant’s swing relies on athleticism and thus poses some risk.

The 29-year-old Bryant arrived in San Francisco in a midseason trade with the Chicago Cubs. He hit .262 with seven home runs and 22 RBI through 51 regular-season games for the Giants. Bryant also went a scorching .471 with eight hits (including a homer) in San Francisco’s five-game NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants already lost one cornerstone of last season’s 107-win team. Now it sounds like they may be willing to let another top contributor walk as well.