Bryce Harper turned down an offer from the Nationals at the end of the season

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The Cubs have yet to make a decision on how to handle the Addison Russell stoppage.

It has now been more than a month since the Cubs season came to an abrupt end and Russell was suspended for 40 games by Major League Baseball for domestic violence.

Many fans would prefer that the Cubs get rid of Russell and move on, but it's not so simple for Theo Epstein and Co.

Once the MLB 's investigation into Melisa Reidy – Russell' s allegations ended in early October, the Cubs were able to discuss with Russell in detail and Epstein 's case. is maintained directly with the young man and his ex-wife.

"I think we have an obligation to talk to everyone involved in the situation and really engage with Addison," Epstein said Monday at MLB GM meetings in Southern California. "This incident happened under our supervision – he was one of our players and he will serve his discipline for his behavior." Domestic violence is everybody's problem and it happened under our watch and we must be part of the solution. "

"For us, that means prevention, which means trying to do everything we can as an organization to ensure that it does not happen again, so that all those who interact with players and their families need to be professionally trained. detection, outreach and intervention, let's say we are going to create an organization where there will be no more domestic violence episode, but that must be the goal and we take measures in this regard.

"Part of the solution also involves – as far as Addison is concerned – a discipline that has been handed over to him and will serve him, and I also think that part of the solution * can * possibly include rehabilitation and reform and take action to test whether the person is worth investing so that he can grow up and never happen again with him.

"So we're in this process." We have a strong mental skills department and – I do not want to go into details – but we're very engaged with Addy to try to verify that he's serious about the # 39 self improvement and add more stabilize one's life and get to a point where we are confident that something like this will never happen again.

"Everything remains an open question, we have not made any decisions, the only determination we have made is that we have to be part of the solution, both from an organizational point of view and by supporting the discipline, supporting and exploring a possible path. " to rehabilitation and improvement. "

As part of the suspension, Russell has asked the league to participate in a treatment program and this process is still ongoing, said Epstein.

The investigation is over the day after the end of the Cubs season and the suspension of Russell was announced a few minutes before the Epstein press conference at the end of the year. , where he stressed the importance for the organization to support Russell and his ex-wife.

Epstein and the Cubs feel responsible for being part of the domestic violence solution even beyond this situation and hope to learn and instill better practices and procedures to support the player and his family.

They also feel responsible for supporting Russell and not rejecting him immediately.

That is not to say that Russell will absolutely wear the Cubs uniform in 2019, but there is a real possibility of meeting – which would probably be an unpopular decision among fans.

"Look, this happened under our supervision and it's not like we signed a free minor league agent and he demonstrated that behavior a month later and then you quit his job," said Epstein. "It's one that we've acquired at Double-A and it's grown largely in our farming system, and especially with a high school student, you're an important part of a player's development."

"We appreciate the fact that players are growing up and having great success in the field and out of the field and we are proud to be part of that, to play a small role in this task and to create the right environment for that. when a player has something in his life that goes in the opposite direction or does something that you are not proud of, does that mean that you should automatically cut the bait and move on and that is the problem of someone else or maybe just the problem of society?

"Or are you exploring the possibility of keeping in touch with this player in the hope of re-education, with many verifications along the way? I think these are difficult things, but I'm not sure the answer or simply: throw the player next door and hope someone else does this work or that job is done, that 's what I feel about it.

The Cubs have until Nov. 30 to decide whether to hand over a contract to Russell, who is under the control of the team for three more seasons and who will start his second year of refereeing if he is offered a contract.

He has already played 12 games with a suspension of 40 games, which means he would miss at least the first month of 2019, regardless of the uniform that he wears – he is equal to the team.