Chicago Cubs news: Addison Russell gets raise, others in line
The Chicago Cubs and shortstop Addison Russell agreed to a raise before his arbitration. Teammate Kris Bryant is next up in line to be rewarded for his great play.
The Chicago Cubs agreed on a new contract that pays shortstop Addison Russell $644,000 in 2017. That amounts to a $109,000 raise from the league minimum he made previously.
Russell hit .238 with 21 homers and 95 RBI in 2016, appearing in his first All-Star game. He also played a dazzling shortstop, helping lead the Cubs to their first World Series championship since 1908. He is eligible for arbitration before the 2018 season.
Winning the World Series means having to pony up money to reward your players. The Cubs have the advantage of having many young players on their rookie deals so they have some time before the big contracts need to be made. They do have a decision looming on Jake Arrieta, however.
Russell started out slowly in the NLDS, but heated up in the later rounds to hit 3 home runs and 13 RBI. He was a key part of the offense, driving in key runs in big situations.
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Next up for the Cubs is Kris Bryant. He is also pre-arbitration eligible. The team and his agent, the Scott Boras, are working on a deal. Some think Bryant’s salary could eclipse the record set by Mike Trout for pre-arbitration deals. Trout’s was for $1 million. With a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and World Series title under his belt, he should surpass that mark.
Of course, that just bides time until Russell and Bryant become free agents. The Cubs need to open up their wallets if they wish to keep them in the fold. Each has Boras as their agent, and he is notorious for waiting around until the mega deal comes. Here are two players probably not even in their prime yet, and they already set the city of Chicago on fire.
Next: Chicago Bears draft profile: Miami TE David Njoku
The Chicago Cubs have a great nucleus of young talent, but eventually that talent needs salaries that match their abilities. Let’s see how the team handles this in the future.