The Cubs have hired Craig Counsell as manager

David Ross was criticized at times for his lineups and bullpen use, but overall I thought he did a pretty good job managing the Cubs for the last four years.

That’s changing, per this report:

Cubs fans have loved to hate Craig Counsell as Brewers manager, but this is the kind of thing where you wind up glad he’s on your side. Counsell has managed the Brewers for nine seasons and has brought them to the postseason in five of the last six years, winning the N.L. Central title four times and posting three 90+ win seasons, including 2023.

This means Ross is being let go with a year left on his contract. There has been no official confirmation from the team on either move — Ross leaving or Counsell coming in — so I’ll wait for that for further analysis, but wanted to get this news out to you now.

As always, we await further developments, and I will update this article if/when the Cubs confirm.

UPDATE: The Cubs have officially announced this move, with the following statement from Jed Hoyer:

“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,” said Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer. “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.”