Shouldn't the team have interpreters on staff? The Phillies have these accommodations. It should be standard practice for a team to have actual translators around, not just teammates or coaches who they deputize to pull double-duty.
The Phillies have a Spanish interpreter for a dozen Spanish players.
And in the minors, there are teammates and coaches who speak Spanish.
I mean probably 10% of the US population speaks decent Spanish.
But when they had an Italian pitcher, doubt they had an interpreter for him.
Problem is there aren't that many Russian speakers around, it's not like you can find a fluent Russian speaker at the drop of a hat, and there are few Russian players at the AHL level. If you want to start moving Russians through your system, you pretty much have to commit to drafting 1-2 every year or finding the few who'll play at the AHL level (Asinimov last season).
Easier at the NHL level, where the talent justifies the cost and there are more Russian players (b/c they're more willing to come over for NHL money and perks).