Bryant, Russell Reportedly Fail to Reach New Deals With Cubs
By James Neveau ••
The Chicago Cubs were unable to come to agreements with restricted free agents Kris Bryant and Addison Russell this week, meaning that the duo will reportedly file for salary arbitration.
Bryant and Russell, along with reliever Justin Grimm, will submit their salary requests to an arbitrator on Friday, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and other reports. The three players will still be able to negotiate new contracts with the team, but faced a Friday deadline to file their salary requests.
Bryant could potentially break the record for highest salary given to a first-year arbitration eligible player. He hit 29 home runs and drove in 73 RBI for the Cubs last season, an impressive follow-up to his MVP award winning 2016 campaign.
Getty Images
Getty Images
Kris Bryant, smiling all the way, throws to Anthony Rizzo, and ends a 108-year championship drought. The Cubs....are the champs.
Getty Images
Thousands of Cubs fans created a beautiful tribute to the team's success on the walls of Wrigley Field, scrawling messages in chalk that were later immortalized in high-definition photographs by the team.
Getty Images
That beautiful Commissioner's Trophy certainly looks good next to a Cubs logo, and millions of fans got to see it at the team's parade and rally through downtown Chicago.
Getty Images
Anthony Rizzo got the honor of introducing David Ross to the crowd at the team's victory rally, and the big guy couldn't hold back tears.
One of the biggest gatherings in world history seems like a proper way to celebrate a historic championship.
Alex Schaefer/Saturday Night Live
The perks of winning a championship certainly involve a degree of stardom, as Cubs players appeared on "Saturday Night Live," "Ellen," and countless other shows.
Getty Images
After losing a bet with then-Bulls star Dwyane Wade, LeBron James had to dress up in a Cubs uniform when the team traveled to Chicago. We only wish he would've had to play the game in that outfit.
Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama made one of his final acts in office count, inviting the Cubs to visit him in the White House less than a week before leaving the presidency behind. And he threw one heck of a party.
Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs, in a beautiful ode to the championships of the past, went into the bleachers and raised the championship banner, but before that, they brought the World Series trophy into the park for an awesome ceremony.
Getty Images
The Cubs got their championship rings in a touching ceremony at Wrigley Field, giving fans the chance to share in one of the more remarkable moments in the history of the team.
Getty Images
Ignore the Cardinals uniform: Dexter Fowler played a key role for the Cubs in 2016 and got his ring before a game in June.
Getty Images
President Donald Trump wanted the Cubs to visit the White House, and they did, bringing along some awesome gifts for their second trip to the Oval Office.
Getty Images
The champagne sprayed, and the cheers echoed throughout Busch Stadium as the Cubs, appropriately, wrapped up their division title against their hated rivals in St. Louis.
Getty Images
The road to a repeat went through Washington, and although the ride would end one round later, the Cubs celebrated appropriately after eliminating the Nationals.
Getty Images
Fans are never going to get tired of seeing this flag at Wrigley Field.
MLB Trade Rumors is projecting Bryant to make $8.9 million for the 2018 season, but it’s unclear what Bryant’s exact demands are.
Russell had an up and down season that was marked with both personal and professional challenges, hitting just .239 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI in 385 plate appearances. The shortstop likely won’t see a huge pay bump with his new deal thanks to Javier Baez’s strong 2017 season, but he is still projected to make around $2.3 million next season by MLB Trade Rumors.
Grimm, whom many experts thought could be non-tendered by the Cubs as free agency began, will remain with the team despite putting up a 5.53 ERA and striking out 59 batters in 55.1 innings last season.
