Chicago Cubs News: Russell key to the offense, Where does TLS fit in?

The Chicago Cubs’ Addison Russell may be a big part of the offense this season–and they need him to be. And where will Tommy La Stella fall into all this?

The 2017 season was a rough one for the Chicago Cubs‘ Addison Russell on a personal and professional level. Russell hopes to open up 2018 with a fresh slate as he tries to bounce back from last years struggles. For Russell, he didn’t come up in as many “clutch” spots as he did the year before. But he also failed to deliver when he did. Will next year be a different year for Russell? Or have we seen the best he has to offer?

Our newest writer, David Gohest, makes his debut by looking at free agents–and five the Cubs should leave alone. The Cubs haven’t shown a ton of interest in these players–but you never can be too sure with Theo Epstein in charge. Could the team land Shohei Otani? It seems unlikely with the funds they have. But anything is possible.

Tommy La Stella is a name that we haven’t heard much this offseason. And that’s not all bad for him. La Stella is a solid pinch-hitter that can fill in at several positions. But how will the Cubs utilize him next season, or will they, for that matter? It’s possible he could be worked into a package for pitching. But if the gain isn’t that great by adding him in, the Cubs would be best just to keep him.

These and other stories you might have missed:

‘Russell will help key offense in 2018’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Free agents the Cubs should avoid‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Where does La Stella fit in?’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Otani reportedly querying MLB clubs’ – MLB.com

‘The collateral damage of the steroid era’ – ESPN

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Next: Shaw could be a name to keep an eye on

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