James Russell

38-Year-Old PitcherP

Free Agent Foreign

2024 Stats

W-L

0-0

ERA

0.00

WHIP

0.00

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W-L

ERA

WHIP

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for James Russell in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

League Foreign

Bats L

Throws L

40 Man No

Height 6'4"

Weight 200

DOB 1/8/1986

Drafted 14th Rd 2007

Released by Detroit

PFree Agent F

May 8, 2018

The Tigers released Russell on Monday, John Wagner of The Toledo Blade reports.

ANALYSIS
After failing to win a bullpen gig with the Tigers in spring training, Russell opened the season at Triple-A Toledo, making only two appearances and giving up five runs over three innings before getting let go. The lefty will likely try to land a minor-league deal elsewhere but will face a difficult path back to the majors regardless of where he lands.

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2015

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2011

A trade for Russell and Emilio Bonifacio proved far too little, too late for the Braves in the standings, but Russell more than held his own after coming over from Chicago at the deadline, posting a 2.22 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB in 22 appearances. Surprisingly, he struggled mightily against lefties overall, with an opponent batting line of .284/.351/.455, but he has still held lefties to a .241/.280/.410 slash line for his career, and any concerns with his regression in that department were offset to a large extent by his tremendous improvement against right-handers. Opposing right-handers hit just .165/.239/.182 against Russell in 2014, down from .321/.418/.615 a year before, though his numbers did benefit from a .244 BABIP and 4.8% HR/FB rate. It still seems likely the Braves will rely on Russell primarily as a lefty specialist, likely the top lefty option out of the bullpen, making him deserving of consideration in leagues that count holds.

Russell was unhittable the first couple of months of the season, but it's clear he wore down from overuse as the season went on, only appearing in four games over the final four weeks. Overall, the numbers were respectable, particularly his 19 holds, though his 37:18 K:BB ratio left a bit to be desired. He'll likely be used in a similar capacity by the Cubs this year, though hopefully the new management will be a bit more careful in his use.

One of the team's more consistent relievers, Russell had a decent year with 55 strikeouts and 23 walks in 69.1 innings and seven wins. His fastball averages just 89 mph, but his solid command makes him a good bet to be the team's primary left-handed setup man. With the addition of Kyuji Fujikawa to the late-inning mix in free agency, Russell is one step further away from landing the occasional save after closing out a pair of games for manager Dale Sveum last season.

Russell pitched well in a relief role last year, posting a 33:9 K:BB rate and a 2.19 ERA. His poor showings as a starter hurt his overall numbers, but we'd expect Russell to stay in the bullpen this year. Russell isn't a hard thrower, and his flyball rate makes him prone to the long ball, so he doesn't have a lot of room for error with his command.

Russell logged 49 IP as a rookie, and at first glance, his peripherals (42:11 K:BB) look awfully good. But a closer look reveals 11 homers, thanks to a miniscule 0.66 G/F rate. He's got a good chance to make the team again as a middle reliever, but needs to keep the ball in the park.

More Fantasy News

Signs minor-league contract with Detroit

PFree Agent F

January 10, 2018

Russell agreed to a minor-league deal with the Tigers on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.