Kris Bryant is putting the Cubs in a really tough position

Chicago Cubs uber-prospect Kris Bryant has dominated thus far this spring. That's not unusual for the 23-year-old, though. Since he was selected with the second overall pick of the 2013 draft, Bryant has mashed his way up the ladder.

After hitting an astounding .325/.438/.661, with 43 home runs, over two minor-league levels in 2014, it's clear Bryant is close to major-league ready. He's continued his surge this spring, hitting .500, with four home runs, over 14 at-bats. Bryant hit two of those long balls Thursday, and also added a double.

The Cubs realize Bryant is close, and seemed to create an opening for him at third by dealing Luis Valbuena during the offseason. Despite that, the Cubs may send him to the minors to begin the season. That decision could wind up being a huge mistake for the franchise.

The Cubs' decision isn't based on Bryant's performance, but rather his service time. If the Cubs wait a few weeks to promote Bryant, they can gain another year of control on the slugger. C.J. Nitkowski of FoxSports.com did a good job explaining how that works recently.

Basically, the Cubs can gain an extra year of team control on Bryant if he accrues fewer than 172 days in the majors this year. By delaying the start of his service-time clock, Bryant won't reach free agency as quickly. Therin lies the problem for the Cubs.

Bryant's agent is Scott Boras. Boras is notorious for allowing his players to reach free agency. While the two sides could work out some type of pre-arbitration deal, like the Tampa Bay Rays and Evan Longoria, that seems highly unlikely with Boras in charge. By manipulating Bryant's service time, the Cubs could receive an extra year of Bryant's production before he hits the open market.

Manipulate may seem like a strong word, but that's an accurate description of the situation. This isn't uncommon among major-league teams either. The Houston Astros did the same thing last season with George Springer, and the Los Angeles Angels waited on Mike Trout back in 2012. The MLBPA has already said they'll monitor Bryant's situation, but it's unclear if they can really take action.

That's because the Cubs can pretty much invent any reason to justify sending Bryant to the minors. While Bryant is the consensus top prospect in the game, he's not perfect. His strikeout rate is still fairly high, and the Cubs could say they want him to work on that before he's promoted. The team could also say Bryant needs to work on his defense, or come up with any other excuse to keep him in the minors.

General manager Jed Hoyer has already prepared fans for this, saying the trade of Valbuena wouldn't speed up Bryant's path to the majors. That indicate the Cubs likely plan to ship Bryant to the minors to begin the season, but are also trying to avoid the inevitable fan backlash when it happens.

Problem is, the Cubs consider themselves contenders this season. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has already declared that the team will win the division in 2015, and manager Joe Maddon has said the team's expectations are to "go to the playoffs and work it from there."

Most projections, including the ones listed at Baseball Prospectus, expect the Cubs to contend, but predict the race for the National League Central will be tight. The Cubs could win the division, or grab a wild card, but they aren't expected to run away with a playoff spot.

The difference between the Cubs reaching the postseason and watching it on TV may wind up being just one or two games, and that's where keeping Bryant down could to begin the season could sink them. While Bryant would only be down for a few weeks, his ability is far greater than the team's current options. The club is currently projected to open the season with Tommy La Stella, Arismendy Alcantara or Mike Olt at third. None have the same ability or potential as Bryant.

That's reflected in each player's ZiPS projection for the 2015 season. Bryant is currently projected to put up a 4.2 WAR, according to the system. Alcantara comes in second among the bunch, with a 2.4 WAR. The ZiPS projections aren't gospel, but two wins over the course of the season is significant, particularly in this scenario.

It's entirely possible that Bryant, like many prospects before him, will fail upon immediately reaching the majors. At the same time, it's incredibly difficult to look at his pedigree and his numbers, and make a legitimate argument that he still needs to prove himself in Triple-A.

If the Cubs are serious about making a postseason run, Bryant is their best option to open the season at third. Is a shot at winning a World Series and breaking a lengthy drought really worth an extra year of control six seasons from now?

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik