The Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to terms on Addison Russell’s salary for the 2017 season. Russell, 23, will make $644,000, according to Jon Heyman.
In two seasons with the Cubs, Russell has a slash line of .240/.314/.404 with 34 home runs. He’s already considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the game and is projected for another power outbreak in 2017, after hitting 21 home runs last year. In his second season in the Majors, Russell was voted to the All-Star Game.
Russell, who the Cubs acquired in a trade back in 2014 with the Oakland A’s, will be eligible for salary arbitration next offseason.
The Cubs still have not come to terms with Kris Bryant, but Heyman reports his deal could break a record set by Mike Trout.
Via Jon Heyman:
The 2016 NL MVP and 2015 NL Rookie of the Year could be in line to come close to, if not pass, Mike Trout’s still-standing pre-arbitration record; he earned $1 million in 2014. Like Bryant, Trout had a Rookie of the Year Award under his belt at the time; unlike Bryant, he had not won an MVP to that point, though he was coming off of back-to-back runner-up finishes.
Ryan Howard, who earned $900,000 in 2007 with the Phillies following a Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and MVP in 2006, still holds the record for most money earned over the minimum, which also bodes well as a comp for Bryant.
It’s still incredible how much of a bargain these guys come at when they produce so much at a young age. Just look at Bryant. A ROY and MVP award in consecutive seasons and he was making less than a million bucks. Talk about value. Of course, Bryant and Russell, and all the other young players for the Cubs will eventually get huge deals.
Still, a nice little pay raise for these guys. Plus, you know, being World Series champs is nice too.
