Chicago Cubs

It's rare that a managerial move should serve as a mission statement for a team's entire offseason, but the Chicago Cubs seemed to throw down a gauntlet when they hired Craig Counsell.

If Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and owner Tom Ricketts really want to prove they are serious about making the Cubs live up to their status as one of the marquee franchises in MLB, they need to go all-in with a pursuit of Shohei Ohtani.

The Cubs hired Counsell away from the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers by making him the highest-paid manager in Major League Baseball on a five-year deal worth more than $40 million.

Counsell's average salary of $8 million is nearly double that of the highest-paid manager from the 2023 season when the Cleveland Guardians paid Terry Francona $4.5 million.

Given how instrumental Jed Hoyer was in picking David Ross to be their manager three years ago and the expectation after the end of the 2023 season that he would be back, the aggressive pursuit of Counsell suggests things are changing on the north side of Chicago.

Hoyer said he had "no comment" when asked during the GM meetings this week if he would be meeting with Ohtani's representatives, but there's a growing belief around the league that it will happen at some point.

Per The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma, one MLB source indicated the Cubs "will be in on a player widely considered to be the biggest prize in this free-agent class."

USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted "as many as 10 teams" could make legitimate offers to Ohtani, with the Cubs being considered "serious contenders."

There's certainly going to be a lot of competition for the three-time All-Star. The Los Angeles Dodgers are almost universally believed to be the favorite to sign.

In a poll of executives from all 30 teams conducted by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Dodgers received 10 of 14 votes from decision-makers as the eventual landing spot for Ohtani.

The Cubs have every resource available to them that the Dodgers do. They are a national brand with a passionate fan base that shows up to Wrigley Field no matter what. They haven't drawn fewer than 2.5 million fans to home games since 1997, excluding the 2020 and 2021 seasons that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If Ricketts is concerned about money, the Cubs have $51.9 million in salary coming off their books from last season. Even factoring in raises for arbitration and pre-arb players in 2024, their payroll is only projected to be $182.5 million right now.

If we use MLB Trade Rumors' prediction of a 12-year, $528 million contract for Ohtani, adding his $44 million average annual salary would put the Cubs' payroll right around $223 million. This is still $14 million below the estimated competitive balance tax threshold for next season.

There's still the long-term question about what Ohtani will be as a pitcher, though he intends to keep doing that when he recovers from elbow surgery.

In the short-term, though, Ohtani proved this season he's capable of being the best hitter in the sport. The 29-year-old led MLB in slugging percentage (.654), led the AL in on-base percentage (.412), homers (44) and total bases. He's almost certainly going to be named AL MVP for the second time in three seasons when the award gets announced next week.

Adding an impact hitter would seem to be of paramount importance to the Cubs. Five of their regulars from last season had a below-average OPS+. Cody Bellinger, their best hitter, is a free agent looking for a lucrative long-term contract.

Ohtani completely changes the dynamic for Chicago's lineup. He would slot in at DH, allowing Christopher Morel to play first base. Morel is a flawed player as a low-contact, big-power hitter, but he's made it work with 42 homers in 767 at-bats over the past two seasons.

The lineup should also improve with top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong poised to start the season in the big leagues. Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara should be arriving in Chicago at some point in 2024.

There's an argument that the Cubs don't need to make a splashy move to win the NL Central. The Brewers could be going into a rebuild, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reporting on Thursday they are "open to moving virtually any player" on the roster.

The Cincinnati Reds are improving, but they have a lot of pitching questions right now. The St. Louis Cardinals were a mess last season and are desperately pursuing starting pitching to make a quick turnaround.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are probably at least one year away from being a serious contender in the NL Central.

But there's a huge difference between being the favorite in a weak division and one of the favorites to represent the NL in the World Series. The National League is in an unusual spot right now with two dominant teams in the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

The Philadelphia Phillies could be in that category, but they could be in a position where they have to replace Aaron Nola. Even the Dodgers, who have won at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons, have a lot of pitching questions.

The reigning NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks won 84 games and were outscored by 15 runs during the regular season.

Signing Ohtani would almost certainly put the Cubs on equal footing with the Braves and Dodgers in the NL hierarchy to reach the World Series next season.

David Ross doesn't blame Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer for making a change at manager by hiring ex-Milwaukee Brewers skipper Craig Counsell.

"We had our conversation," Ross told Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat about Hoyer, who traveled to Florida and spoke with the Cubs' ex-manager in person about the move.

"If my boss doesn't think I am a good manager, then he should move on. I don't fault him for that. If he doesn't think I am the right guy, that's his job. That's his choice. I have my own thoughts and opinions that I will keep to myself."

Ross, who ended his playing career on the 2016 World Series champion Cubs, managed Chicago from 2020-2023. He went 262-284 over four years, making the playoffs once in 2020. Last year's team finished 83-79 and missed landing the final NL wild card spot by one game.

The Cubs are now led by Counsell, who signed the most lucrative managerial deal (five years, $40 million) in MLB history. Counsell found great success as the Brewers' manager, leading Milwaukee to the playoffs in five of the last six years, including the NLCS in 2018. That's one more playoff appearance that the franchise managed from its inception in Seattle as the Pilots in 1969 to 2017.

With Counsell's contract expiring after October, he naturally became a hot commodity, with his old team, the New York Mets and the Cleveland Guardians reportedly interested. The Cubs swooped in and offered him big bucks to lead Chicago, however, ending Ross' time in town.

Ross isn't mad or bitter about the whole situation by any means, however, telling Henry that he was grateful for the opportunity.

"I think the thing that comes over me is that I am extremely thankful for the opportunity, to be honest," Ross said.

"There was a lot of people who worked really hard alongside me. ... I am really thankful for the four years I got, coming from zero coaching experience to getting the chance to manage such a great organization that has impacted my life in a great way. There's great people there. I really don't have a whole lot negative to say, to be honest.

"I get mad from time to time but I have a lot to be thankful for."

Despite Ross' tough ending in Chicago, he'll always remain a franchise legend for his role on the 2016 Cubs, specifically his solo home run off Cleveland star reliever Andrew Miller to give the team a 6-3 lead in Game 7 of the World Series. That run was a vital one after Cleveland tied the game at six to force extras, where Chicago eventually won 8-7 in 10.

It's that time of year again—agent Scott Boras is pulling out every turn of phrase and pun he can to shamelessly promote the financial interests of his clients.

Here's what he had to say about Cody Bellinger:

"Chicago got the comforts of a 'Full Belli.' They're going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger."

- Scott Boras on Cody Bellinger's free agency pic.twitter.com/J1IpB31ps7

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) November 8, 2023

"When we came to Chicago, he just feasted on Major League pitching," Boras said, going full Thanksgiving in his comments. "I think Chicago got the comforts of a 'Full Belli.' So they're going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger."

Where's Waldorf and Statler when you need them?

But Bellinger did outplay the one-year, $17.5 million "prove it" contract he signed with the Cubs ahead of the 2023 season, hitting .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBI, 95 runs and a .881 OPS. The former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP is arguably the top free agent on the market not named Shohei Ohtani.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicted that the Cubs would re-sign Bellinger to a six-year, $144 million deal this winter, giving him both a yearly raise and long-term security. It just will require the team's payroll increasing by a pant size or two.

Count New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns among those who were stunned to see the Chicago Cubs hire Craig Counsell as their new manager.

"I didn't see that coming," Stearns told reporters while expressing he still has a good relationship with Counsell even though he will be managing in Chicago instead of New York:

David Stearns talks about Craig Counsell heading to the Cubs:

"I didn't see that coming...I love Craig. Ultimately, he made the right decision for himself." pic.twitter.com/pKtpOj9EiC

— SNY (@SNYtv) November 7, 2023

Part of what made the announcement so shocking is the reality that the Cubs already had a manager in David Ross. They didn't figure to be one of the teams in pursuit of Counsell since there wasn't a vacancy.

Yet the North Siders decided to fire Ross and jump at the chance to add someone who is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the league. It surely didn't hurt that the move also was a blow to the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, who now need to find a new manager.

"This is no knock on Rossy, who I think incredibly highly of, but Craig is at the very top of the game," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Tuesday. "It's hard to rank managers, but he's at the very top of the game."

While the Mets were connected to Counsell as a potential landing spot after they fired Buck Showalter, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported the Cubs' offer "was significantly higher than" New York's.

Instead, the Mets hired former New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their new manager.

Mendoza may end up being excellent, but Counsell is a known commodity who led the Brewers to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. They were also competing with a lower payroll than National League competitors such as the Cubs and Mets, but that didn't stop him from maximizing the production from his team.

The pressure will now be on Mendoza to help turn things around in New York, especially if he will be compared to Counsell throughout the 2024 campaign.

The Chicago Cubs have missed the playoffs the last three years and are looking to change that in "the short term and the long term."

That is why they hired Craig Counsell as their new manager and fired David Ross in the process.

"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," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Tuesday.

He also said, "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."

Counsell managed the National League Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers the past nine years and led them to a 707-625 record and five playoff appearances. The Brewers won the division in two of the past three seasons and often overachieved against teams, such as the Cubs, with higher payrolls on the roster.

He is widely regarded as one of the game's best managers, and Chicago responded by making him the highest-paid manager in the league.

It surely wasn't lost on the front office that hiring Counsell would also be a blow to the Brewers, which is the team the Cubs are attempting to catch in the NL Central. The financial aspect of it may have also been something of a signal that the plan is to be aggressive this offseason in an effort to quickly put a winning club on the field.

Ross went 262-284 during his four seasons as Chicago's manager. The team seemed to be in position for a playoff spot this past year before a late collapse, which may have ultimately cost him his job.

The question now is which players the Cubs will add this offseason to play for Counsell.

Cody Bellinger was their top offensive player in 2023, but he is a free agent. Chicago has also been connected to Shohei Ohtani and trade rumors involving Juan Soto, so there could be another big splash at some point this offseason.

Chicago has a chance to change the balance of power in the NL Central this offseason, and Hoyer's comments suggested hiring Counsell was a part of that process.

The Chicago Cubs were willing to make Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in Major League Baseball history, and the New York Mets reportedly weren't.

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Cubs' offer for their new manager "was significantly higher than what the Mets were offering him." Sammon noted that "some of that difference can be attributed to the belief that he held only mild interest in coming to the Mets in comparison to joining the Cubs."

The Cubs announced they fired David Ross and hired Counsell on Monday, and ESPN's Jeff Passan noted they made him the league's highest-paid manager in history with a richer contract than the one Joe Torre previously had of approximately $8 million per year.

New York wasn't the only team unwilling to pay Counsell that much, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Milwaukee Brewers' offer for their former manager was approximately half of what Chicago offered.

The Mets ended up hiring New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their new manager, per Passan.

Monday's flurry of managerial news was particularly shocking in terms of the Cubs, as they did not have an opening until they decided to fire Ross. While Ross will surely be remembered fondly by Chicago fans for his role as a veteran leader on the 2016 team that won the World Series and broke a championship drought of 108 years, he was just 262-284 in four years as manager.

The Cubs also collapsed down the stretch of the 2023 campaign and went 6-14 during a 20-game sequence in September. That was a major reason they missed the playoffs after playing well for extended stretches.

Chicago's addition of Counsell not only gives it a highly regarded manager but also hurts a division rival in the Brewers, who will now have to turn elsewhere.

Counsell was 707-625 in nine seasons at the helm in Milwaukee and made the playoffs five times in the last six years. The Brewers also came within one win of a World Series appearance when they lost Game 7 of the 2018 National League Championship Series.

His teams often overachieved against other franchises with higher payrolls and won the National League Central in two of the last three years.

Now he will attempt to win the division with another team.

The Chicago Cubs responded to their September collapse by firing David Ross and hiring former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

The #Cubs today made the following announcement: pic.twitter.com/rDlYHHQIrj

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 6, 2023

The move was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Rosenthal reported that the Cubs gave Counsell a five-year deal worth more than $40 million. The deal will make Counsell the highest-paid manager in MLB history, per Passan.

Meister Sports, Counsell's agency, confirmed its client will be the highest-paid manager in the league:

This afternoon it was reported that longtime client and #MSMFam Craig Counsell had come to an agreement on a 5-year deal, with the Chicago Cubs organization, that will make him highest paid manager in the sport. We are thrilled to confirm those reports to be true!

— Meister Sports (@Meister_Sports) November 6, 2023

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Brewers offered Counsell about half as much money as the Cubs:

Craig Counsell's 5-year, $40 million contract from the Chicago Cubs was about twice as much as the Milwaukee Brewers' offer to retain Counsell.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 6, 2023

Counsell was in high demand, as the Brewers, New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians all had interest in him.

The 53-year-old compiled a 707-625 record during a nine-year run in Milwaukee. The Brewers reached the postseason in five of the past six seasons, advancing to the National League Championship Series in 2018.

He will now take over a team that will try to dethrone the Brewers in the NL Central.

While Chicago outperformed expectations with an 83-79 record, a disappointing end to the season cost it a playoff spot. Plenty of blame fell on Ross' shoulders, and fans grew frustrated with his decision-making as the season progressed.

Still, he will always have an important part of Cubs' history even with his failed tenure as manager thanks to his role as a veteran leader on the 2016 team that won the World Series and snapped a drought that dated back to the 1908 campaign.

That was Ross' final season of a playing career that also included stops with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

It seemed like something of a ceremonious hire when Chicago brought him aboard as manager ahead of the shortened 2020 season.

The team went a combined 145-179 in his first two full seasons in 2021 and 2022, and there weren't a ton of expectations in 2023 even though there remained some hope that the team would take a step forward and potentially set the stage for a playoff run in 2024.

Chicago got off to a slow start but caught fire in the middle of the season and seemed like a lock for the playoffs at times in September.

And then it collapsed.

As Patrick Mooney of The Athletic noted, a stretch of 14 losses in 20 games and eight one-run losses in September meant the final game didn't even matter in the standings for the Cubs. They were already eliminated by the playoff-bound Miami Marlins, and the front office decided it was time to move on from the manager.

"We're in this together," Ross said when accepting blame for the swoon, per Mooney. "I wouldn't separate myself from any player, front office, coach. If we don't get to where we want to get to, I'm the head of the team. I'm the manager of this team. The blame should come on me first."

Every decision is magnified in those one-run losses, especially for a team that was talented enough to make the playoffs.

Chicago finished the season with a run differential of plus-96, which was the best in the National League Central and far ahead of the Marlins' mark of minus-57. Had Ross been even slightly better, he could have parlayed the talent that was responsible for that run differential into more wins and a playoff spot.

However, questionable bunts, lineup construction and bullpen usage proved costly a number of times throughout the season.

And now Ross is out of a job, with Counsell taking his place in the Windy City.

Veteran starting pitcher Marcus Stroman's time with the Chicago Cubs is reportedly over after two seasons.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Monday that the Cubs "say they don't have any intention to bring back" Stroman after he declined his $21 million option for the 2024 campaign.

Stroman originally signed a three-year contract worth $71 million with the Cubs prior to the 2022 season. He was named Chicago's Opening Day starter this year and he earned his second career selection to the All-Star Game. However, injuries derailed his promising season.

Stroman had a 2.28 ERA in 98.2 innings over his first 16 starts in 2023 before being slowed by a blister, a hip injury and a fracture in his right rib cartilage. Over his final 11 appearances, he had an astronomical 8.29 ERA in 38 innings of work. Overall, he finished the 2023 season with a 10-9 record, a 3.95 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 136.2 innings.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer summed up Stroman's season during his wrap-up press conference:

"He was exceptionally good and a candidate to start the [All-Star] Game. And then, really, kind of post-London I think he kind of really never got it back on track. He struggled in July and then obviously was hurt for August. And I gave him a lot of credit for working hard and trying to come back, but he never quite got back to where it was. And so I think that's the only way to look at his season–he was really crucial for us in the first half. But then, obviously, we certainly could have used him in the second half, but he was injured and unable to help us."

Stroman likely will be one of the top starting pitchers on the open market this offseason. If he can stay healthy, he can surely help any team contend for a playoff spot in 2024.

Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman declined the $21 million player option in his contract for the 2024 season Saturday, meaning he will become a free agent after spending the past two seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Stroman's decision to decline his option.

In 2021, the Cubs signed Stroman to a three-year, $71 million contract in free agency after he previously enjoyed stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets.

Over his first seven MLB seasons, Stroman was a one-time All-Star and one time Gold Glove Award winner. He also posted an ERA under 4.00 on five occasions.

Stroman's first season in Chicago was solid overall, as he went 6-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, while striking out 119 batters in 138.2 innings.

He pitched well again in 2023, going 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 136.2 innings en route to his second career All-Star selection. He missed six weeks late in the season due to fractured rib cartilage.

When the Cubs were contending for and winning the World Series several years ago, their starting rotation was among the biggest reasons for their success.

Pitchers like Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey led the way, but Lester, Arrieta and Lackey all retired soon after, leaving the Cubs in need of a significant rotation rebuild.

Stroman was signed in order to accelerate the process, and he settled in as a frontline starter for Chicago over the past couple of years.

Now, even with Justin Steele leading the rotation, the Cubs are without a lot of high-end depth behind him and will be competing against the other 29 teams in free agency if they want to retain Stroman.

A World Series champion and MVP is hitting the open market this offseason.

Cody Bellinger declined the $12 million mutual option for the 2024 campaign he had on his contract with the Chicago Cubs on Friday, per the team. That means he is an unrestricted free agent moving forward and will surely look to cash in on his excellent 2023 effort.

The Cubs' decision to sign him to a one-year deal with the mutual option was a low-risk move. If he returned to his previous form, he could help them contend for a playoff spot. And if he continued to struggle, it was not a long-term commitment.

Fortunately for Chicago's 2023 team, it turned out to be the former.

Bellinger slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases as the anchor of the team's lineup. His presence was a major reason the Cubs entered the stretch run as playoff contenders, and were able to finish over .500 (83-79) for the first time since 2020.

Bellinger is now an interesting case study as he hits free agency.

On the one hand, he was largely excellent this past year. It also wasn't long ago that he was one of the best players in the league with a resume that includes the 2019 National League MVP, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger from his time on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He slashed .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs and 115 RBI during that MVP season, but his production quickly fell off in the following seasons.

While the Dodgers won the World Series in the shortened 2020 campaign, Bellinger hit just .239. Things continued to trend in the wrong direction in 2021 with a .165/.240/.302 slash line, 10 home runs and 36 RBI before he slashed .210/.265/.389 with 19 long balls in 2022.

That is how he became a low-risk, short-term pickup for a potential fringe contender in the Cubs.

The move paid off, but there will be more risk for the next team to sign him.

After all, his showing in 2023 means he will generate a larger contract offer. There is no guarantee he will be the dominant version he has shown at times, as the inconsistency throughout his career stands out.

It is something teams will have to weigh as they decide whether to pursue him.