Addison

Russell

The former top prospect spent the 2020 season with the Heroes, slashing .254/.317/.336 with just two homers and 31 RBI in 65 games. He spent each of the past two seasons in the Mexican League, most recently hitting a robust .348/.443/.677 with 24 homers, 74 RBI and eight swipes in 80 ballgames. He hasn’t played in the big leagues since the 2019 season.

Jeff Passan of ESPN confirms that a contract is being finalized. According to Yoo, Russell still needs to take a pre-signing physical and receive his work permit before arriving in South Korea. Russell was non-tendered by the Cubs back in December after batting just .237/.308/.391 in 241 plate appearances in 2019. He’s still only 26 years old and is a former top prospect, but interest was understandably lacking stateside after he served a 40-game domestic violence suspension last year. He’ll now try to keep his career alive in the KBO. Russell will replace former major leaguer Taylor Motter on the Heroes’ roster.

It refutes a previous report from Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Russell was non-tendered by the Cubs earlier this week following another disappointing campaign. There figures to be some interest in him since he’ll turn just 26 next month and at one time looked like a rising star. However, between his poor offensive performance and off-the-field baggage, there will surely be teams that decide he’s not worth it.

Detroit and Baltimore are the two most obvious fits for Russell, assuming that he’d prefer to start. He was cast off by the Cubs, but he’s still a potential long term starting shortstop.

The former top prospect has dealt with major off-field issues over the last two seasons, as well as a concussion that limited him during the 2019 campaign. He wound up hitting just .237/.308/.391 with nine homers and 23 RBI in 241 plate appearances in 2019. Still, he’s only 25-years-old and was the starting shortstop for the National League in the 2016 All-Star Game, so there should be other clubs willing to take a shot on him.

It was his first plate appearance since he suffered a concussion back on September 8. Russell, 25, has an ugly .225/.301/.387 batting line with nine home runs and two stolen bases in 77 games this year with Chicago.

If Russell can pass the necessary tests, he could be activated before Thursday’s contest with the Reds. He’s been out since suffering the concussion on September 8. He likely will split time at shortstop with Nico Hoerner if/when activated.

Russell is still in the concussion protocol, but he’s been able to take batting practice and now make some throws. There’s still no timetable on when he’ll return, but it would appear that he’s getting close.

It was just some light bunting initially, but it’s the first bit of baseball activity that Russell has gone through since he suffered a concussion just over a week ago. As is always the case with concussions, there’s no clear timetable for Russell’s return. That said, it figures to be a quick turnaround as long as he’s free of symptoms.

It’s just a paperwork move, as nothing has changed with Russell’s status. He remains in concussion protocol.