Kris Bryant Willing to Clear Air With Yadier Molina After Calling St. Louis 'Boring'

In January, Bryant jokingly called St. Louis was "boring" during an interivew with former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster during a fan convention.

Kris Bryant told reporters that he would be willing to speak with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina about an offseason remark in which the Cubs third baseman jokingly called the city of St. Louis "boring."

Bryant made the comment during an interview with former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster during a fan convention in January. Molina caught wind of Bryant's words and responded in an Instagram post, stating writing "only stupid players and losers make comments like the ones made by bryant and dempster [sic]."

On Monday, Bryant said he was admittedly surprised at Molina's reaction to his comment.

"I wasn't attacking his family, the organization or anything," Bryant said. "... You never know how people will react to what you say. That's how he looked at it."

Last season marked the first time since 2013 that neither the Cubs nor Cardinals won the NL Central division crown. The longtime rivals have jostled atop the standings for several years.

Bryant said that he and Molina's offseason exchange only contributes to the rivalry, adding that his comments were taken out of context.

"I was caught off guard," Bryant said. "I was thinking to myself, 'What really happened?' You never want to say the wrong thing. I think I've done a good job on the field to earn the respect of the players around the league, I do things the right way. I treat people the right way. I know I'm a good person."

The Cubs and Cardinals meet for the first time next season on May 3.