5 Christmas Presents for the 2025 Chicago Cubs roster

A contender for Craig Counsell

It's really an indictment of the post-Epstein regime that the Cubs haven't won a playoff game since 2017. Fans bought in on the concept that the organization was building a sustainable ecosystem that would combine timely free-agent spending with a healthy flow of talent from the minor leagues. Instead, the Cubs have avoided going all in on a season since at least 2018 despite playing in one of the weakest divisions in baseball and a rash of elite free agents hitting the marketing in the last half-decade. While the Kyle Tucker signing seemed like a jolt out of that rut, the Cubs haven't followed the trade with any substantial roster additions and there is strong indication that they are going to try to stay below the luxury tax line.

It all doesn't make a lot of sense that Hoyer and the Cubs were willing to give Craig Counsell the biggest contract for a manager ever but weren't prepared to follow that up by spending with the big dogs of the National League. While he certainly attracted the ire of Cubs fans in his first year at the helm, Counsell deserves better from the Cubs ownership and front office. He joined the team after gaining acclaim for driving overperformance with an under-resourced team in Milwaukee under the guise that he was joining one of the handful of major market clubs. Instead, the Cubs continue to sit with a relatively middling payroll.

Counsell and his staff had some pretty significant victories in 2024- setting up Michael Busch for a successful rookie campaign at a newish position, Miguel Amaya's mid-season adjustments, navigating a freakishly unlucky early season from the bullpen, etc. He's still one of the best managers in the game, but his resume is still quite a bit little lighter than guys like Dave Roberts or Bruce Bochy. Counsell's presence can be the front office fully committing to this roster to give him the opportunity to earn his contract