Bleacher Bums Forum

IF IF Russell is tendered, my take would be that brass has concluded that there are buyers for Russell in the trade market at a $5 arb salary.

Your premise is that the Cubs don't want him themselves, at least at $5M.  I think that assumption is probably correct. 

If so, then your logic is correct.  **IF** they don't want him themselves at $5M, but they still tender him and obligate themselves to a $5M commitment, that would only be logical **IF** they think teams want him enough to trade value for his $5M contract. 

I think that hypothetical is unlikely.  I'm not saying trading him with $5M contract is impossible; after all, liability contracts are routinely involved in bad-contract-for-bad-contract liability exchanges.  But I just don't think Russell at $5M with his bat and his baggage would be valued enough to be worth any significant trade value.  **IF** you don't want him yourself, why would you want to obligate yourself to $5M contract when you might NOT be able to trade him; and even if you can, the talent return will be very minimal at best? 

So seems to me that *IF* the Cubs don't want him at $5M themselves, they'd be unwise to tender him. 

I see three options:
1.  Tender him tomorrow
2.  Non-tender him tomorrow.
3.  Come to a contract agreement at a less-than-tender price.  $2?  $3? 

2B is one of the Cubs three most pressing starter needs (CF and rotation starter being the others).  Theo loves Hoerner.  **IF** they were to bring Russell back, at a reduced salary, that might provide more coverage.  Maybe Hoerner has a good spring, and they just decide to commit to him.  Or maybe not, and they'd like him to spend some time in the minors; while still hoping that he's going to be the long-term answer, and might be so by June or July.  *IF* they hope he's the guy, but want to buy some stop-gap 2B roster-fill until he's ready, the existing alternatives are Descalzo, Bote, and Happ.  **IF** they were to bring Russell back, even if he wasn't good, he might still be well ahead of Descalzo on the anti-awful continuum.  And perhaps defense-considered (which of course it must be), he might be viewed as an overall decent competitor for Bote and Happ, both of which are variably below-average defensively.  So *IF* Russell agreed to a $2.5 contract, for example, on the pure baseball level that might make sense for the Cubs to sign him ?? 

As to Craig’s post, think there could be more interest in Russell as a SS to other clubs than to Cubs at lower-than-$5 salary 2B utility type guy.

Years ago, I expected and posted several times that eventually either Baez or Russell would be traded because it’s exceedingly rare that a club plays a Plus defensive SS at another position for all that long. SS is of course a premier position on the field and only very unusual circumstances would you see a gold glove type guy there play at a lesser position for very long.

Of course, now Russell’s offensive stock is way down but he’s still a terrific defensive SS and clubs are always looking for that. So, could see possibility that Theo is hearing interest.

Or, Russell is non-tendered, as expected.

If Russell is non-tendered, I expect him to get a major league deal elsewhere. One-year major league deals are not guaranteed, in any case. But, guessing that there will be several openings and opportunities for him

Cubs hired Craig Driver from the Phillies as a catching/1B coach. Borzello will be game planning and losing his catching duties.  Coaching staff is complete and much more tech forward.

This seems like the kind of relatively minor move which could be much more significant than is now apparent.

MLB minimum is $563,500.

Also Danny Hultzen

Hultzen was a lost cause.

Best of luck to Addison.

It is quite possible that the Cubs will try to resign both of them after the draft is completed.