Cubs, Craig Counsell shake up the big-league coaching staff, fire a fan favorite

Days after Craig Counsell said the bar needs to be raised this winter in Wrigleyville and 90-win teams should be commonplace at the corner of Clark and Addison, he and Jed Hoyer wasted no time making changes to the big-league coaching staff, dismissing assistant hitting coach Jim Adduci, bullpen coach Darren Holmes and first-base coach Mike Napoli.

After matching the same 83-79 record the team put up under David Ross in 2023, we all knew changes were coming. But Napoli recently received rave reviews from both players and Counsell alike, making his dismissal quite surprising, especially when you factor in how well-liked he was.

Napoli, a teammate of Ross during their playing days, joined the Cubs coaching staff in 2020, giving Ross a familiar face in the dugout as he navigated learning the ins and outs of being a big-league manager. He held multiple roles over the last few years, taking over as the first base coach in 2022.

Holmes, who joined the Cubs' staff last winter, lasted just one season as the team's bullpen coach. After stints in the same role with Colorado and Baltimore, Holmes replaced Chris Young, overseeing the team's relievers. Chicago relievers ranked 12th of 30 MLB teams in ERA this year and, while that group settled in as the season progressed, it was a bumpy ride.

Expect Jed Hoyer to field some questions on this topic during his end-of-season presser Tuesday morning, but the one lingering on the minds of plenty of Cubs fans right now is: 'Why is Willie Harris not on the chopping block?' He had more than a few questionable sends this year as the team's third-base coach and, despite his standing in the clubhouse, his on-field performance was lacking this season.