Scott Boras anticipates Addison Russell remaining with Cubs

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CARLSBAD, Calif. - Scott Boras has plenty to focus on right now with Bryce Harper's market, but he isn't preparing as if his other client, Addison Russell, will be anywhere else but Chicago in 2019.

The superagent held court Wednesday afternoon for more than an hour in front of dozens of reporters at the GM Meetings, but Boras said he is not expecting Russell to be anything other than a Cub in the short-term.

"We're communicating closely with the Cubs," Boras said when asked if he believes Russell will back with the Cubs. "Addison's working on his therapy and going forward, the team is clearly in line and directly involved with Addison. I have no expectation otherwise and I have not been told otherwise."

We haven't heard from Russell himself since the 40-game suspension for domestic violence was handed out the day after the Cubs' season ended and Boras believes there will be a time for that this winter.

"I think that will come," Boras said. "I think Addison is in a regimented schedule right now going through this and he has certainly been in communication with the Cubs. Everybody understands what's going on with Addison and how he has been very diligent with his program and his therapy going forward."

Boras discussed Russell's ongoing therapy and treatment:

"Addison is getting therapy, Addison is growing and understanding the responsibility of his team, his league, his city," Boras said. "As you can see from the suspension, there are different levels and different elements of conduct.

"The learning curve in this is good for everybody. It's good for the league, it's good for baseball and in the end, it's really, really good for Addison going forward. Any time we try to improve people and have a system that does that and brings attention to things that in a society make us better on and off the field, I think it's a very positive step."

Theo Epstein and the Cubs feel a personal responsibility to lending support to Russell and are motivated to being part of the solution for domestic violence.

Epstein admitted Russell's potential chance at reformation doesn't have to come with the Cubs, but the president of baseball operations also doesn't want to just cast the 24-year-old aside and make it somebody else's problem.

So what would the Cubs need to see from Russell before they can feel as if they can move forward with him as a part of the 2019 team?

"In Addison's case," Epstein said Wednesday, "before he can play another game in a Cubs uniform, we need to know that he's serious about self-improvement and he's grown to the point where he can represent the club well."

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