The Chicago Cubs may have fired manager David Ross prematurely. The Cubs reportedly made Ross feel as though his job was safe following the 2023 regular season. Yet, that all changed when Craig Counsell approached Jed Hoyer about the job. Hoyer pursued Counsell with all his might, thinking the then-rival skipper was the Cubs missing piece. Counsell agreed to take the job, taking a record-breaking contract in the process. Hoyer called Ross to break the news in one of the tougher baseball breakups in recent memory. Ross has not coached since.
Ross was approached for several bench coach jobs prior to the 2024 season, including the New York Yankees, but opted to take a year or two off instead. Ross has, for the most part, kept quiet about the firing. He wasn’t happy in the aftermath, as he has admitted, but also said he had nothing negative to say about the organization. By keeping it classy, Ross kept future opportunities open.
However, Counsell himself has done Ross some favors, albeit not intentionally.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
How Craig Counsell and the Cubs have helped David Ross
The expectation when Counsell became manager of the Cubs was that the team would run the NL Central for years to come. That has not been the reality. In 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers won the division while the Cubs finished 83-79. This season, the Cubs had an early Central lead only to eventually relinquish that lead to the Brewers once again. Milwaukee holds a four-game lead as of this writing thanks in part to Counsell’s replacement, Pat Murphy.
As the Brewers and Murphy have thrived, Counsell and the Cubs have run into some unpredictable roadblocks. If anything, this suggests the Cubs jumped the gun to hire Counsell. That could prove to be the right call long term, but it shouldn’t hurt Ross’s long-term managerial outlook. He was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Where could David Ross manage next season?
Ross should have some interview opportunities this winter if he is interested. Ross also has three kids of his own and may prefer to take a step back for a little while longer. He was already named to the Team USA coaching staff for the World Baseball Classic. If he were to take a managerial gig on top of that, he wouldn’t have much time at home with his family.
Eric Cole of FanSided noted that Ross could be an ideal Brian Snitker replacement when he leaves his Braves post at the end of this season.
“David Ross checks a lot of boxes. He is an extremely respected former player, seemed beloved by his players when he was manager before getting unceremoniously dumped by the Cubs, and it seems like he would be a blend of old school as well as a guy that would use analytics,” Cole wrote.
Given Ross’s ties to Atlanta, and the chance to manage a team just one year removed from a postseason appearance, Ross shouldn’t shy away.
