Chicago Cubs: What next for Addison Russell?

MLB’s administrative leave decision has larger implications for Addison Russell than for the Chicago Cubs.

Addison Russell’s suspension Friday by Major League Baseball probably affects Russell’s future more than it does that of his team, the Chicago Cubs.

Russell was placed on seven days’ administrative leave following a blog post by his former wife, Melisa Reidy-Russell.

In that post, Reidy-Russell, who divorced Russell after nearly two years of marriage, accused her ex-husband of subjecting her to emotional and physical abuse.

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Russell has denied the claims. “These allegations are completely false,” he said in a statement released by the Cubs. “I made that clear to Major League Baseball last year and reiterated it to the Cubs today. I’m confident any full and fair investigation will fully exonerate me.”

The administrative leave decision gives MLB time to investigate the allegations, and may be extended for an additional seven days if the determination is made that an extension is required.

As it stands, Russell will be sidelined for most of the rest of the season. If the leave is extended, it would carry into the first round of post-season games. If the investigation results in an action against Russell, obviously he could be sidelined for a longer period.

From an onfield standpoint, however, none of that is likely to greatly impact the Cubs because Russell has played only occasionally over the past month, and has not been an effective offensive force when he has played. Russell missed two weeks in late August due to an injury, and since his return has started just 11 of the team’s 19 games , going just 6-for-38. All 6 of his hits were singles.  He has driven in just three runs since the end of July, and has not homered since June 29.

Since acquiring Daniel Murphy from Washington, the Cubs have generally shifted Javier Baez to shortstop and inserted either Murphy or Ben Zobrist at second. Given Russell’s ineffectiveness even prior to his suspension as well as the team’s precarious lead of one and one-half games over Milwaukee in the NL Central entering play Saturday, Russell didn’t figure to see much playing time down the stretch or in the post-season anyway.

From a playing standpoint, the larger question will be Russell’s availability going forward into next season. The investigation could result in additional fines and/or suspensions which, combined with the opprobrium that attaches to the accusation as well as Russell’s ineffectiveness, could make it difficult to trade him and somewhere between impractical and undesirable to count on him.

The Cubs can get by because they can shift Baez permanently to shortstop and slot Zobrist or fellow utility player Ian Happ at second.  Zobrist is contractually obligated through 2019 and is among the top five in the National League in batting.

That leaves Russell as the one in jeopardy. He stands to be hit hard in the wallet because although he is arbitration-eligible in 2019, the off-field and on-field issues combine to undermine his case for much of a raise from his current $3.2 million salary, if any at all. If the investigation results in a significant penalty,  it’s not out of the question that Russell could find himself in an extended enforced counseling or out of a job entirely in 2019.

The possibility also exists, of course, that the investigation might yield nothing. Reidy-Russell chose not to cooperate with previous MLB efforts to investigate the accusations, and is under no obligation to cooperate this time, either.