Levine: Cubs Cut Short Young Shortstop's Fall League Season
By Bruce Levine-
(CBS) -- By mutual agreement, the Chicago Cubs and top prospect Addison Russell have cut short the 20-year-old shortstop's Arizona Fall League season.
The Cubs felt that after two-and-a-half weeks that Russell needed to rest and work toward the 2015 season instead of playing any longer. It was made clear that there's no injury that caused this decision.
The collective decision was made in large part due to Russell's continued play since the spring of 2013. He had competed in games in spring training 2013, that regular season and Fall League, then repeated the same cycle in 2014. Russell was hitting .190 after 42 at-bats this fall.
Russell was obtained from the Oakland A's in a five-player deal on July 4. He was the centerpiece of the trade for the Cubs, who sent pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. Russell hit a combined .295 in three minor-league stops during the 2014 season. He missed some time with a leg injury, getting 258 at-bats during the season and finishing with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs.
To say he has impressed scouts would be an understatement in describing Russell's overall impact.
"Hey, if you like real baseball players, then you will really like Addison Russell," a National League scout said. "He knows how to play, and he is fun to watch. The Cubs have three shortstops people like. To me, he is the best one they have."
Russell was Oakland's first pick in the 2012 June amateur draft.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
