Former Cubs manager David Ross returns to television with a new deal

This offseason didn't go as hoped for former Chicago Cubs skipper David Ross. Despite nine managerial positions being open after the 2025 season, he came up short in his bid to return to the dugout.

Furthermore, The Athletic (subscription required) reported that no teams expressed significant interest, with some seeing him only as a potential bench coach candidate. Given some of the hirings, there appeared to be greater interest in more out-of-the-box hires and newcomers than in the more traditional veterans of the game with experience at the wheel.

However, it wasn't a total bust for Ross. He was brought on board as Team USA's bullpen coach for the World Baseball Classic, which will keep him directly involved with the game for a short while this spring. Once that's over, he'll now have a spot back in the broadcast booth, too. On Tuesday, ESPN announced that it had reached a multi-year deal to bring Ross back into the fold as an analyst across both studio and in-game coverage starting right away this year.

Ross was previously employed by the sports giant right after his retirement following the 2016 World Series. He donned the mic from 2017 through 2019 before succeeding his former skipper, Joe Maddon, as Cubs manager. During his first stint with the network, he operated in a similar capacity between weekday games, SportsCenter, and other programs. However, that was in a much different landscape. ESPN recently lost Sunday Night Baseball to NBC, and has been pulling back on its studio coverage significantly. However, the shaken-up staff and the new setup, with ESPN and ABC now splitting the rights to 30 MLB telecasts throughout the week, left an opening for the former catcher to step back in.

A return to ESPN seems like about the best deal possible for Ross, with no teams willing to give him another shot as a manager. It allows him to continue bringing his expertise to the game of baseball in a way that he's already proven quite capable of as a respected veteran voice. Nothing says he can't step back into the field if an opportunity with an organization eventually comes calling, either.

For his part, the two-time World Series champion is happy about the arrangement. During Tuesday's exhibition between the Giants and Team USA, he spoke on-air to his old/new colleague and Cubs broadcaster Boog Sciambi about returning to The Worldwide Leader and how much he appreciates the ESPN team.

David Ross' unexpected firing still hasn't faded from Cubs' fans' minds

It's now been over two years since the Cubs pulled off their stunning coup of the Milwaukee Brewers and replaced Ross with Craig Counsell on a record five-year, $40 million deal. The decision said more about the availability of one of the best managers in the game than it did about Ross' abilities at the helm.

Though he hadn't found a ton of success with a 262-284 record from 2020 through 2023, he navigated a tough time in the team's history between the pandemic season, a lockout, the 2021 sell-off, and a rebuild, and the Cubs seemed perfectly happy to keep him on board for longer as they started returning to contention. Even if it proved to be for the best for the team, it was a raw deal for a mostly capable skipper and a fan-favorite former player.

Baseball is better when it has experienced voices and generally beloved personalities like "Grandpa Rossy" around to lend their insight. A job at ESPN, a place where the former Cubs player's talents fit so well, may be the best outcome for him and for all parties for the long run, then.