At one time he was my favorite Cubs player. He seemed like a good dude, quiet and kind of unassuming. Then his wife came out with some pretty serious shit about him, and it turns out he was actually an abusive, controlling husband. He says he’s gone through a lot of therapy trying to work on himself, on being a better man. Does he deserve another chance?
After the Cubs let him go he signed with the Kiwoom Hereos of the KBO league. That’s Korean Baseball Organization btw. They let him go after one season. In 2021 he signed with Acereros de Monclova. He hit .319/.405/.900 that season. He re-signed with them in 2022 and he hit .348/.443/1.120 with 24HR. He’s only 28yrs old and I think he deserves another chance. A lot of young men make mistakes in there early 20’s. I’m a completely different person now than I was in my early 20’s, and I feel like I didn’t really start becoming a real adult until my mid/late 20’s. I’m curious to hear what other Cubs fans think about Russ.
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I think teams have proven they don’t really care about the personal life issues as long as the numbers are there (currently noteworthy, Ozuna with the Braves). With the cubs rumored to be looking for a high end middle infielder and already having Hoerner and Madrigal, I doubt Russell is high on the cubs list. But if another team has a need for a relatively cheap middle infielder it wouldn’t surprise me.
Had no idea that he was raking like that and honestly I completely forgot about him.
Personally I am a big believer in second chances Our front office must believe too because they were prepared to give Russell that second chance immediately after the allegations. Ultimately It was his performance on the field that ended his tenure here.
Invite him to spring training and see if he really is changed, both on and off the field
How tf is he only 28?! It feels like he hasn’t played in a decade!
Maybe he should try Japan first, prove himself, and sign with the Brewers.
“Cubs nation. Let’s ride”
A “mistake”? You don’t go around striking other people because you feel like it, out of anger, or whatever. He’s a shitty person. If that were your sister, your daughter, or your mother, would it still be a “mistake” then?
There’s an unfortunate thing about sports: if you’re talented, you have a roster spot. If a team deems him worth the investment despite the backlash, he’d have a job.