On Monday, the Chicago Cubs made an unexpected managerial move by dismissing David Ross and hiring his replacement without much thought.
The Cubs’ next manager will be Craig Counsell. According to Marshall Harris of CBS 2, this action suggests that they are all in on winning at this point.
After four seasons, the team relieved former catcher Ross of his managerial responsibilities and installed Counsell in his place. Thus, the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers rises to the position of highest paid manager in the league.
The alleged value of the agreement is $40 million over the following five years. With that, the market is reset to the highest salary ever paid to an MLB manager.
In five of the previous six seasons, Counsell has guided the Brewers to the postseason and even won division titles.
“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,” said Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer. Hoyer on Monday afternoon. “On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David’s contributions to our club, both on and off the field. First as a player and then as a manager, David continually showcased his ability to lead.
David’s legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations and his impact to our organization will stack up with the legends that came before him. Going forward, our Major League team will be managed by Craig Counsell. We look forward to welcoming Craig at Wrigley Field early next week.”
According to CBS Sports, Counsell recently concluded his ninth season with the Brewers, leading his clubs to three NL Central titles and five postseason appearances. However, under Counsell, Milwaukee has only triumphed in one postseason series. They won the 2018 Division Series handily over the Colorado Rockies.
According to CBS Sports, he was heavily sought after by several teams, including the Mets, Brewers, and Guardians, when his contract expired in 2023, which made his decision to join the Cubs a “shocker.”
With 707 victories, 53-year-old Counsell is the most successful manager in Brewers history. In addition, the Wisconsin native has managed the Brewers for the longest period of time ever.
