NEWSLETTER
[UPDATE: Addison Russell has been suspended 40 games. Original post follows.]
Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on – and then extended in – administrative leave by MLB after allegations of domestic abuse were levied by his ex-wife about two weeks ago. Russell has denied the allegations, but MLB is investigating and there has already reportedly been some additional credible information discovered in the process.
Russell’s leave was to last through the end of the regular season, but, you’ll note that he was not on the Cubs’ Wild Card Game roster, and presumably would not have returned to the team even if they’d made the NLDS.
Although a quick decision on punishment would no longer impact whether Russell would be eligible to play again this season for the Cubs, I have no doubt that all sides nevertheless want a speedy resolution so that they can proceed this offseason with as much knowledge/information available as they can get.
“Right now, we’re kind of going day by day,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said of the process, per ESPN. “That’s the best I can do for you. The most important thing is to take our time, make sure we have all the facts and make sure we try to make a decision at a point in time that it doesn’t affect roster decisions and things like that.”
It’s possible a decision could come before the end of the postseason, according to Manfred, but that necessarily means it’s also possible things could drag into November or beyond.
Russell, 24, is eligible for arbitration three more times, and, on that basis, the Cubs could keep him under team control for three more seasons if they wanted. But if they would rather make a clean break here, they will have the opportunity to see if there are teams out there that want Russell for a modest return (for teams that can get past this domestic violence issue, there is plenty of “value” there, but I get squeamish even starting down that road). Otherwise, the Cubs will have to make a decision about whether to tender him a contract in early December.
