It's tough to blame the Chicago Cubs for hiring Craig Counsell, who is one of the top managers in all of baseball. Counsell has earned every bit of the five-year, $40 million contract Chicago gave him to replace David Ross. However, it's tough not to look back on how Ross was treated, specifically. After the season was over, Chicago's front office gave Ross confidence in a looming return, with ownership going as far as to say he was their guy.
"I was very pleased with Rossy this year," Jed Hoyer said in early October. "Coming from being 10 under (.500) and sort of maintaining the competitiveness but also having the team never focus on individual stuff, we never lost that. Creating that type of culture is very difficult, and he does a fantastic job of that."
I'm not sure how Ross could have seen this coming. Yes, the Cubs late-season collapse was a disastrous one, but assuming he wasn't fired at the end of the season, why would he expect to be let go now?
"The manager in a big market is always going to get criticism," Hoyer continued. "That's part of the job. Do we have disagreements and do we have heated conversations? Of course we do, but you will do that with any manager. He's constantly trying to improve, but ultimately we were very pleased with the job he did this year."
This was a blindside, and it'd be tough to blame Ross if he felt slighted at all. Let's take a glimpse into that universe.
David Ross destination that works: San Diego Padres
Managing another National League team -- and one which could be competing for an NL Wild Card spot next season if their roster plays up to par -- would allow Ross to get right back into the playoff race. Ross was mentioned as a presumed candidate in San Diego shortly after his firing. FanSided's Alicia de Artola summed up the Pads managerial search in a previous article:
"According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune,the Padres are considering adding Ross to their managerial candidate pool after finding out that he was being replaced in Chicago. Other candidates considered for the job are Padres bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Los Angeles Angeles infield coach Benji Gil, and San Diego senior advisor to player development and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt."
The worst factor in Ross's dismissal is timing. Had the Cubs fired Ross at the end of the season, he'd have a leg up in managerial searches. Instead, he's forced to make up ground on the fly. Given that list of names, it's tough to see Ross getting the gig over the likes of Mike Shildt and other veterans.
David Ross destination that works: Milwaukee Brewers
There's no better potential destination for Ross than Milwaukee. He's already familiar with the NL Central, and knows the Brewers inside and out from his time facing them in a heated divisional race. The only issue is Ross would be forfeiting the love of the Cubs fanbase were he to leave for their rival, in similar fashion to Counsell and Milwaukee baseball fans.
As FanSided's Kristen Wong noted in the aftermath of the Cubs-Counsell hiring, the Brewers are unlikely to act irrationally in replacing him. Still, Ross has plenty of managerial experience and were he not just fired by the Cubs, would appear a decent candidate.
"Under Ross's leadership in 2023, the Cubs had a fighting chance to make the postseason until the last week of the season, when Chicago came up short. Ross had previously played for the Cubs for two seasons and retired in 2016, the year the Cubs won the World Series," Wong wrote. "In actuality, would the Brewers actually make an emotion-based decision when it comes to hiring their next manager? Probably not."
The Cubs and Brewers playing manager musical chairs would be amusing, to say the least.
David Ross destination that works: New York Yankees
If it's too late in the game for David Ross to receive a realistic chance as a manager, then perhaps he could sign at a high-profile location as an assistant. The New York Yankees are a good example, as they need a new bench coach following Carlos Mendoza's hiring by the New York Mets.
Ross would be an easy replacement, as he has ties to Aaron Boone. Having another former manager in the dugout would help New York in the long run, as well. Taking a step back in New York could jumpstart Ross's managerial career in a year or two, as well, making him a stronger candidate. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic revealed Ross could be considered:
"David Ross, the just-fired Chicago Cubs manager, could be an interesting target. Ross has enjoyed a good relationship with manager Aaron Boone, with whom he consulted often as he interviewed for the Cubs' job before the 2020 season and talked to about how to be an effective manager once he secured the position. It's unclear, however, whether Ross, 46, would be interested in the Yankees' bench coach position," Kuty wrote.
It's an intriguing thought, but only realistic if Ross strikes out with potential managerial openings.
David Ross destination that doesn't work: Boston Red Sox
If the Boston Red Sox managerial job were available, Ross would have been floated as a potential replacement for Alex Cora already. However, it's been relatively clear that new president of baseball operations Craig Breslow will not fire Cora despite the Red Sox disappointing finish in the AL East last year.
There was some chatter of Cora moving on, and potentially pursuing a front office role in Boston. This would allow Breslow to hire a new manager, but that never materialized.
The reason I bring any of this up is because Breslow has connections in Chicago, and played a role in bringing Ross to the Cubs in the first place. Ross and Breslow have a good relationship and know how to work with one another. So, if Cora could find a new role, Ross would have made a lot of sense as the next manager.
However, that was never going to happen. Unfortunately for Boston, Ross has a better chance at ending up on the rival Yankees than in Beantown.
