SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Generations of baseball chroniclers have compared the flurry of managerial hirings and firings that takes place this time of year as a game of musical chairs, and normally the comparison is apt. But agreed-upon musical chairs etiquette normally suggests that those seeking seats fight for unoccupied chairs.
On Monday, the Chicago Cubs tipped their manager and beloved postseason hero, David Ross, out of the seat he had occupied since before the 2020 season and installed coveted former Milwaukee Brewers skipper Craig Counsell in his place. The Cubs will reportedly pay Counsell $40 million over the next five seasons, according to the Athletic, making him the highest-paid manager in major league history. Counsell, whose contract with the Brewers expired after this season, managed his hometown team to a 707-625 record in nine seasons there.
The Athletic was first to report news of Counsell’s move, which broke shortly after news that the New York Mets would be hiring longtime New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza for their managerial job. Mendoza has never managed in the majors, other than filling in for Aaron Boone after ejections and health emergencies, but his name is not new to industry insiders who have seen it pop up for vacancies in the past.
In New York, Mendoza will team up with another former Brewers staple, David Stearns. Stearns led baseball operations for Milwaukee before stepping down last year amid long-standing rumors that Mets owner Steve Cohen wanted to hire him. Cohen made that hire official shortly after the regular season, when he also dismissed manager Buck Showalter to allow Stearns to choose a manager.
Stearns’s familiarity with Counsell and Cohen’s willingness to spend combined to make the Mets seem like a possible fit for Counsell. But Counsell is from Milwaukee and has one son playing college baseball at the University of Minnesota and another playing at the University of Michigan, which means Chicago allows him to stay closer to family.
The only complication, of course, is that the Cubs already had a manager — and a familiar one.
“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,” Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said in a statement. “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.”
Ross was the gregarious backup catcher on the curse-breaking 2016 Cubs and slid into a managerial role when Chicago fired Joe Maddon after the 2019 season. Interestingly, it was nine years ago last week that the Cubs hired Maddon despite having a manager, Rick Renteria, in place already. While their decision to hire Counsell stunned the baseball industry, it was not unprecedented — and they set the precedent themselves.
Ross, who finished with a 262-284 record as manager of the Cubs, will join the game of musical chairs that still includes a few openings, though the numbers are dwindling. The Cleveland Guardians also announced a new manager Monday, choosing 39-year-old former catcher Stephen Vogt to replace Terry Francona. Vogt retired in 2022 after a 10-year career as a beloved backup catcher for the Oakland Athletics, among others.
All that news came Monday as baseball operations heads from all 30 teams made their way to Scottsdale for their annual general managers meetings, which usually signal the beginning of offseason business. The Brewers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros still have managerial vacancies to fill as those meetings officially begin Tuesday.