Former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has the itch to manage again. Ross was unceremoniously let go two years ago, when Jed Hoyer paid Craig Counsell a record-breaking $8 million per season to replace him. Ross, understandably, did not feel he deserved to be treated that way. The Cubs had finished 83-79 on the 2023 season after spending much of the campaign under .500. Ross’s team made strides, but none of it mattered when Counsell was available.

Ross hasn’t opened up much since he was let go. He was a candidate for Yankees bench coach last winter, but ultimately the two sides went in different directions. In a column from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Ross discussed his relationship with Counsell, his Cubs exit and even future plans. This comes the same day Chicago is scheduled to play Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series, which they lead 1-0.

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David Ross is still salty about his Cubs exit and Craig Counsell

When asked if he was upset with Counsell, Ross didn’t give a simple answer.

“It’s a good question. I battle it all the time, go back and forth on that,” Ross said. “You feel like you’re a part of this special fraternity of managers. But he also got offered $8 million (a year) for five years, you know? The way it went down sucked. I’ve had so many people say the same thing . . . about how I got screwed. I don’t look at it like that. But a lot of people like it a lot less than me. I don’t know where I stand on that.”

Ross mentioned that he called Counsell when he received the news from Hoyer. Per Ross, he tried to give Counsell some pointers about the Cubs organization. Counsell reportedly thanked him, but the call was brief. The call lasted 15-20 seconds.

“I try to put myself in his shoes and what would I have done? I don’t know that I would have done it like that, if I’m being honest,” Ross said. “But everybody’s got different ways they look at things. It is what it is. I’m a very big believer in things happen for a reason. God’s got a plan for me in my life. I try to believe in that, hold onto that, trust that.”

Fair or not, Ross seems to believe he wouldn’t have taken the money if offered. Counsell has routinely said the Cubs were a unique opportunity. While leaving Milwaukee wasn’t an easy choice, Counsell knew the resources at his disposal would be greater in Chicago. It’s not his fault Hoyer – who had a manager in Ross under contract at the time – called him in the first place.

David Ross holds no ill will towards the Cubs players or fans

While Ross picked an odd time to come out of the woodwork, he still has a soft spot for the Cubs, as detailed in Rosenthal’s column. Ross also admitted to rooting for some of his former players, including Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and more.

“It’s a weird dynamic. That organization has been amazing to me,” Ross said. “There’s still frustration there from just how things ended. It just sucks. But it’s a business at the end of the day. I know that.”

Ross has kept out of the public eye for the most part since he was let go. Much of his life has been devoted to his family since then, as he has three children, the oldest of which is graduating high school.

His next chance will not come in Chicago. Ross hasn’t been interviewed for a manager job since the Cubs let him go. That could all change this winter, as there are five openings as of this writing, with perhaps more to come. Ross is expected to be one of many former managers vying for a job, but given how his tenure ended with the Cubs, it’s tough to argue anyone deserves another chance more.