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Explore all avenues
If I had to guess, I’d say Russell is probably staying put. For now, at least. But it shouldn’t stop the Chicago Cubs’ front office from exploring all of their options. They have an excess of infield depth and a serious shortage of quality pitching, both in the bullpen and in the rotation.
Tough decisions have to be made. Does a slight defensive edge outweigh a more productive bat? I don’t know that it does. Even with his shortcomings at the plate, Russell would still hold significant trade value. He’s young enough that teams can still choose to bank on his potential.
Next: Dodgers advance past Cubs to World Series
The Chicago Cubs are in “win now” mode. This gives them the luxury of going after the sure thing. They don’t need to roll the dice on potential. Leave that to the teams desperately trying to become relevant again. Let the endless machinations of the offseason commence!