After a flurry of mistakes and focus issues, paired with performance that wasn’t so strong that you could try to ignore that stuff, Addison Russell was returned to AAA Iowa yesterday.
Some comments on that, and thoughts on the back-up shortstop situation:
Maddon on Russell: With everything considered, we thought it was best to get him some regular at-bats, hopefully clears his head up a little bit, running the bases, getting the signs. The focus returning.”
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) July 24, 2019
One note on the Russell demotion. Obviously, the idea was on their mind but it moved to the forefront with Lester's illness. Cubs were likely to send down a bullpen arm but once Chatwood pressed into service,things changed. Addison was here this morn, in Cubs workout shorts, etc.
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) July 24, 2019
Maddon said Russell took news of demotion well. “I think it’s better for everyone. … it’s about the player.” Maddon stressed getting Russell back to mindset of 2015-16 seasons
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) July 24, 2019
Maddon on Russell demotion: pic.twitter.com/ZWko4McLhK
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) July 24, 2019
Assuming Kris Bryant is indeed OK, and assuming that Russell didn’t immediately return on Friday to replace him on the roster, then the Cubs will operate for a stretch without an obvious true back-up shortstop on the roster.
Of course, they’ve done this before, when Russell was suspended under the domestic violence policy to open the season. Javy Baez carried the load, and David Bote was the short-term, in-game, back-up shortstop, which is what he would be again. If Baez goes down, heaven forbid, in the middle of a game – or definitely needs only a single-game break – Bote would be the guy.
If Baez were more seriously injured, then you’d have to consider bringing Russell back, or go with someone like Dixon Machado or Zack Short. That is to say, for the most part, not having Russell on the active roster doesn’t really change the back-up shortstop situation all that much. Heck, Russell saw only 69.0 innings at shortstop this year.
If there is no injury to Baez over the next month, there’s a good chance Russell does not return to the big league team until September, when rosters expand to the full 40-man. Even then, it’s possible he’ll have been traded before then, in an effort to save a million or so bucks. It’s very hard to see the Cubs tendering Russell a contract after this season in any case, given how things have gone and the expected arbitration raise. Perhaps there’s a team out there that would take a flyer on a new scene for Russell – giving up nothing and taking on, again, only a small portion of his salary – and then having the option of tendering him after the season if they so choose.
It’s possible, that is to say, that Russell never does return to the big league Cubs. He’s firmly on the trade radar for the coming days.