Chicago Cubs Mailbag: Spring Training 2019 Edition

5. Addison Russell’s future with the team

https://twitter.com/Eric18utah/status/1107348892486492160

This is a tricky question, and honestly, no one outside of the front office can give an accurate answer.

The Cubs could’ve done everyone a favor and non-tendered Russell making him a free agent. Instead, they opted to keep him on the roster.

When asked about Russell this offseason, Theo Epstein had this to say:

"I personally think we’re doing the right thing. I understand people who are upset and think we should just move on, but I can at least pledge to these people we’re taking this on earnestly and it’s important to us, that they’re not just words. They’re actions, and we’ll continue to be transparent with you and our fans about everything we’re doing to try to attack this problem with domestic violence, and we’ll continue to hold Addison to an incredibly high standard or he won’t play a regular-season game as a Cub ever again."

Epstein has positioned the organization as wanting to be partly accountable for the abuse that Russell inflicted, as well as wanting to be part of the solution. Whether or not that’s true is up for you to decide.

The team may legitimately want to help victims and be a part of Russell’s ‘betterment’, or it may just want to keep a 25-year-old shortstop being paid a low salary under team control for another few years.

Regardless of the team’s reason in tendering Russell a contract, I find it hard to believe that keeping him was really the right move.

The Cubs could’ve avoided the public relations nightmare, sent a message that they don’t put up with the disgusting allegations against Russell, and kept fans happy by simply not giving him a contract. Those benefits largely outweigh any contributions Russell could provide as a member of the team.

Additionally, this situation has put other Cubs players, and even fans, in an awkward position.

What is a player supposed to say when they’re inevitably asked about Russell? They can’t trash him for fear of being labeled a bad teammate and disrupting things in the clubhouse, but they also cannot come out too strongly in support of him either. Cubs players will have to walk a tightrope anytime the media asks them about Russell.

Fans are also in a weird spot. What will the response be when Russell comes to the plate for the first time? Cheers? Boos? Some fans are likely considering whether they can even support their favorite team at all with Russell on the roster.

Countless issues could’ve been avoided by deciding to move on without Russell as a member of the team, but now it’s looking all but certain that Russell will be donning a Cubs uniform this summer.

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