The day following the surprising dismissal of David Ross as the Chicago Cubs’ manager and the unexpected hiring of former Brewers skipper Craig Counsell as his replacement, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer faced questions about these dual decisions.
These moves, made on Monday, sent shockwaves through the baseball world for a couple of significant reasons. First and foremost, Ross had overseen the Cubs’ transition from a rebuilding phase into wild-card contention during the 2023 season, culminating in an 83-97 record. The progress was notable enough that Cubs owner chairman Tom Ricketts had effectively expressed his confidence in Ross after the regular season’s conclusion. Furthermore, Ross was under contract for the 2024 season with a club option for 2025. The Cubs had not been part of the Counsell rumors leading up to the decision. Instead, Counsell was widely assumed to be headed to the Mets, Brewers, or even the Guardians, all of whom he had interviewed with.
The pairing of the Cubs and Counsell happened swiftly and unexpectedly, with the goal of improving the team’s performance. Jed Hoyer emphasized this point when he spoke to reporters, including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, on Tuesday, stating, “My job is to figure out how to win as many games as we possibly can in the short term and the long term, and there was nothing about this move that didn’t feel like it met that criteria.”
Without a doubt, Counsell is highly regarded in the world of baseball for his tactical acumen, steady demeanor, and clubhouse leadership. His reputation across the league and his track record of success with the small-budget Brewers speak volumes about his capabilities.
However, the decision to replace Ross with Counsell implies that Ross might not have been the ideal fit for the team’s future. Hoyer clarified this by saying, “This is no knock on Rossy, who I think incredibly highly of, but Craig is at the very top of the game. It’s hard to rank managers but he’s at the very top of the game.”
The change might have been uncomfortable in its execution, but Hoyer’s decision to grant Counsell the largest managerial contract in MLB history indicates his belief that Counsell can lead the Cubs to greater success than Ross could. While this perspective is justifiable, it also brings the pressure for this assumed upgrade to translate into improved standings for the team.