SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Cubs team president Jed Hoyer has always admired Craig Counsell from afar. From his perspective, the manager had no weaknesses. Hoyer watched as Counsell continually maximized the Milwaukee Brewers’ roster, which on paper never seemed to be the best in the division, but still kept winning.
Hoyer saw Counsell as someone who excelled with plays, consistently held his clubhouse together and dealt with the media confidently. In the Cubs’ mind, this was the best manager in the game.
But Hoyer also understood that Counsell was in high demand and was not eager to make a leadership change on his team. David Ross was the man he and Theo Epstein selected to replace future Hall of Famer Joe Maddon, the manager who helped end more than a century of misery on the North Side with the 2016 World Series. The expectation was that Counsell would be locked up as early as November 1st, when Counsell would officially become a free agent. Hoyer had no intention of prosecuting him before that date. He suspected that New York would not be Counsell’s ultimate destination, as he had family roots in the Midwest, but he assumed Counsell would simply return to Milwaukee.
This change did not occur due to simmering tensions between Ross and Hoyer. But as November approached and Counsell remained on the market, Hoyer’s interest was piqued. An opportunity to significantly improve in an important area presented itself, and Hoyer took it. On November 1, he enlisted and Counsell came to the Chicagoland area to meet with Hoyer. The last thing Hoyer wanted was for anything to get out, that Counsell ended up somewhere else and for Ross to find out. That would create tension between a manager and the head of baseball operations that would likely be untenable.
To ensure this remained quiet, Hoyer was the only person to meet with Counsell, very few people in the front office knew about the meeting, and Counsell never came to the Cubs offices next to Wrigley Field, according to a league source. The two had little contact before meeting on November 1, but seemed to hit it off quickly and chatted late into the night.
In the coming days, Counsell would meet the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians while also staying in touch with the Brewers. Late Saturday evening, Hoyer expressed optimism that finances were tight and an agreement would be reached. The deal was completed on Sunday morning. Hoyer had poached the best manager in the business from a division rival, and by agreeing to a five-year contract worth more than $40 million, Counsell had set a new level for managerial compensation while remaining close to the family.
Jed Hoyer didn’t want to leave David Ross behind, but then Craig Counsell became a real possibility. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Hoyer immediately booked a flight to Florida to meet Ross in Tallahassee. The two had a long and sometimes tense conversation, during which general manager Carter Hawkins called several staff members and players to break the news, and word quickly spread throughout the team.
One of the reasons the Cubs hired Ross four years ago was because they felt Maddon wasn’t maximizing the roster and that there were ways Ross could have a better impact on the team on the sidelines. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Counsell always seemed to get the best out of a seemingly worse roster than the one he and Theo Epstein assembled with the Cubs.
Now Hoyer has that difference maker leading his team. However, questions still remain. The Cubs’ roster was only good enough to win 83 games last year, and with Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger headed to free agency, the team looks much weaker right now.
While the Cubs will be active this winter, spending heavily on Counsell shouldn’t be viewed as a guarantee that they’ll beat out competition in free agency. Improvements are needed and action is being taken. But Counsell was sold on a team that is rapidly improving and will continue to do so over the life of his contract, rather than the idea that the Cubs will build a behemoth in one winter.
The Cubs have a strong MLB roster, plenty of young talent in their farm system that is poised to make an impact on the big league team, and significant financial flexibility. While they will flex their financial muscles in the coming years, they are not expected to win multiple bidding wars this winter in a group that is largely viewed as a weaker free agent class, particularly on the position player side
It will also be determined how Counsell will shape the coaching staff. Many of the coaches are under contract for next year and beyond. The hope is that the majority will remain with Counsell. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy is considered one of the best in the business, and the Cubs finally seemed to find some stability as hitting coach after Dustin Kelly successfully connected with players in his first year in charge.
But there could be an exodus of those loyal to Ross. Counsell has a long history with his backup coach in Milwaukee, Pat Murphy. Murphy led Counsell at Notre Dame and also has a history with Hoyer, who hired Murphy as a special assistant early in his two-year stint as GM of the San Diego Padres. Murphy is a candidate to replace Counsell as manager in Milwaukee, but could also find himself in Chicago if he doesn’t get that job.
All of this – how the squad will be composed and who will be part of the final coaching staff – is still unknown. What is clear is that Hoyer and the Cubs sent a message about the development of their team. They poached one of their main rivals and brought in arguably the best manager in baseball to lead a group that is on the rise and should compete in the years to come.
GO DEEPER
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(Top photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)