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Chicago Cubs: Addison Russell balling just in time for trade?

By Khari Thompson

(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Addison Russell has been on an absolute tear of late for the Chicago Cubs. Could this impact his status at the trade deadline?

Boy, it seemed like Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell just couldn’t do anything remotely positive on offense for a while. In particular, the man just couldn’t buy a hit in the first month of the season.

The .250 average wasn’t too bad, but the .326 OBP and .333 slugging percentage? Yeah…not going to get it done. Plus, he only hit .292 on balls in play, which isn’t good for a generally free-swinging player.

But through the end of May, the Chicago Cubs started to see glimpses of 2016 Addison Russell.

His slash of .288/.373/.812 (OPS was just .660 in April) this past month, along with 10 RBIs and two home runs, have given his numbers a mini-boost. In just his last two weeks (37 plate appearances), Russell is hitting .333. Plus, he’s sporting a .413 average on balls that he put in pay in the month of May.

Sure, .288 in a given month doesn’t necessarily set the world on fire, but it’s a very positive step for Russell. In fact, his numbers at the moment (.268/.348/.730), along with his highest walk rate, lowest strikeout rates and best batted-balls-in-play average in the majors, may indicate that he’s playing his best baseball yet with the Chicago Cubs though he’s not hitting for much power yet.

The question is: for how much longer?

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Russell has been an important piece of the Chicago Cubs rebuilding process since they traded Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel for him back in 2014. And since earning his way into the starting lineup, he’s provided the Cubs with some stellar moments.

But the Cubs also have a championship window that will only stay open with this current core (specifically with the starting pitching) for only a little while longer. And though they’re a better offensive team than people may give them credit for, they still might want to make a move to improve their chances at winning a World Series in 2018.

With that in mind, this surge by Russell might put him squarely on the trade block for the Chicago Cubs come July.

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Back when he was mired on the wrong side of .250, the idea that a team might jump at the opportunity to deal for Russell was based largely on his age (he’s just 24), his defensive skill and his potential for growth offensively. Furthermore, he has also had productive offensive seasons, such as when he drove in 95 runs in 2016.

But for the most part, Russell has been more or less the same player in his four seasons as a starter in Chicago. And now more than ever, his value seems to be peaking. In particular, if the Cubs still wanted to trade for Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado, a resurgent Russell could be a nice, and still affordable, trade chip to throw Baltimore in return.

The price for Machado in return may be steep, but it’s to ignore that the Chicago Cubs would be getting a superstar that could potentially help them for years to come. Plus, he wouldn’t come at nearly the type of price tag being discussed for Bryce Harper.

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The idea of letting Russell go via trade isn’t a simple one. After all, he’s a young player who’s given a lot to the Chicago Cubs. Plus, he’s under team control until 2022 at a good price, whereas the Cubs will have to drop a big extension on Machado right away if they traded for him.

But if you can grab Machado, who’s playing like a superstar right now, while your championship window is open, don’t you have to explore it? If Russell and perhaps a few prospects are the price, is that too big a price to pay? I’d say no.

For now, Cubs fans should enjoy what Russell is doing. Chances are that the Chicago Cubs may look to move him in July for a guy they think could be a bigger help in winning a title this season.

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