Column: Kris Bryant isn’t spending ‘wasted energy’ on whether this is his last year with the Chicago Cubs — he’s enjoying an MVP-caliber season with old and new friends

Two months in, Bryant is enjoying an MVP-caliber season, hitting .309 entering Monday and ranking fifth in the majors with a .976 OPS after falling to a career-low .206 average in 2020 with a .644 OPS. He told a Barstool podcast in January he was tired of seeing his name in trade rumors, saying: “Man is this even fun anymore? Why did I start playing this game?’ Because it was fun.”