Latest comments from Craig Counsell prove why he is the Chicago Cubs manager

When the Chicago Cubs made the decision to hire Craig Counsell as their manager, replacing fan-favorite David Ross, the decision was made due to not only Counsell being considered one of the best managers in all of baseball but also the team's front office having the sense that it would be an extension of the front office as a whole.

That is not to say that Counsell will be a puppet for the front office, at the end of the day, the Cubs agreed to pay the former Milwaukee Brewers' manager $40MM over the course of the next five seasons because they've seen firsthand that impact that Counsell's thinking and strategy can have on games.

Where the difference between Counsell and Ross is also noticed is how the new Cubs' manager speaks on a higher-level about not only the roster but the operations that are taking place behind the scenes. Jed Hoyer emphasized the growth of the players that the Cubs have on the roster during the team's opening press conference at Spring Training this past week and Counsell took it a step further on Thursday when talking about the expectations facing the team.

Craig Counsell continues to prove why he is the perfect fit as manager for the Chicago Cubs' front office.

There certainly are players that the Cubs should be expecting to take a step forward in their development during the 2024 season. Specifically, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and first baseman Michael Busch are each expected to receive consistent playing time for the first time in their young careers. With that regular playing time for Crow-Armstrong and Busch, two prospects that remain highly-touted, it would be understandable why the Cubs are bullish on the players they have in camp and aren't creating a dependency on free agents such as Cody Bellinger or Matt Chapman.

That is also where Counsell's alignment with the front office should help the Cubs in negotiations with Scott Boras. Boras is notorious for creating internal conflict as a way to pressure a team into making a deal. Whether conflict between owner and general manager, or general manager or manager, Boras is counting on debate pushing a team to extend beyond their comfort zone for one of his clients. That will not happen with the Cubs and why, even if this outcome is unlikely, the team would not be hesitant to walk away from negotiations if the price does not match.

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