One Craig Counsell decision that could be made during first week of Cubs' offseason

For the second consecutive year, the Cubs finished a season with a record of 83-79 with no postseason berth.

It's not exactly where fans thought the Cubs would be on September 30, and to his credit, Craig Counsell is very much aware of that fact. One of the biggest talking points that Counsell has had in recent weeks is the gap that exists between the Milwaukee Brewers and Cubs.

Of course, the biggest reason why the Cubs hired Counsell last offseason was to bridge the gap between the two teams. Given the nature of Counsell's hiring, the Cubs' manager may have been behind the eight ball last offseason when making coaching staff hires. With the Brewers elevating Pat Murphy, Counsell was not afforded to opportunity to poach any coaches who were with him in Milwaukee.

That is why while the Cubs will not be playing in the postseason this Fall and a large portion of their offseason planning centers around Cody Bellinger's player option, what Counsell is doing this week may be an important step toward him gaining the influence of the decisions made this offseason.

In his latest for The Athletic (Subscription Required), Patrick Mooney reported that Counsell will spend this week evaluating the team's coaching staff. It was an arranged marriage between Counsell and the holdovers from David Ross' coaching staff this past season. Given that Counsell has a full season with the Cubs under his belt and no interference with looming contract negotiations, he likely will make a change or two to the team's coaching staff.

Changes may be coming for the Cubs' coaching staff.

It's a safe bet that Willie Harris will be out as the Cubs' third base coach. There were far too many outs made on the base paths this season. Normally, one would be able to overlook such a distinction, but there were multiple instances where Harris did not have a great send. The fact that this is a talking point is a reason alone for Harris to be replaced.

The other change may be hitting coach Dustin Kelly. While it is likely that Kelly, even Jed Hoyer, would point to the success that the Cubs' offense had at the end of the season, the fact that the offense went dormant for two months in the middle of the season must be accounted for when mapping out improvements in 2025.