SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Cubs were the talk of the general managers meetings as executives trickled into town Monday.
The team shocked the baseball world by sprinting past free-agent manager Craig Counsell’s known top suitors — the Brewers and Mets — to hire their longtime National League Central rival to replace David Ross as manager.
Counsell’s five-year deal makes him the highest-paid manager in major-league history, his representation at Meister Sports Management confirmed on social media. His contract is worth $40 million — or a record-setting $8 million per season — according to multiple reports.
In a statement, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer characterized Ross’ dismissal as manager as a ‘‘difficult decision.’’
‘‘On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David’s contributions to our club, both on and off the field,’’ Hoyer said in a statement released by the team. ‘‘First as a player and then as a manager, David continually showcased his ability to lead. David’s legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations and his impact to our organization will stack up with the legends that came before him.
‘‘Going forward, our Major League team will be managed by Craig Counsell. We look forward to welcoming Craig at Wrigley Field early next week.’’
The move was less about Ross’ performance and more about Counsell, a highly respected and sought-after manager, becoming available, sources said. There isn’t much optimism that Ross, who had one year and a 2025 option left on his contract, will stay on in a different role.
The Cubs made a similar move when they hired Joe Maddon in 2014, firing Rick Renteria to make room for a pennant-winning manager who unexpectedly had become a free agent.
The comparison isn’t a perfect match, however. The end of Counsell’s contract with the Brewers had been looming all season. And though Counsell — who won the World Series twice as a player — had taken the small-market Brewers to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons and is regarded as one of the best managers in the game, he has yet to lead a team to the World Series.
Not to mention that Ross’ connection to the Cubs went back to his playing days, when he finished his catching career with two seasons with them and earned a 2016 World Series ring. Though he had no managerial experience when the Cubs hired him before the 2020 season, he had worked in their front office.
Ross’ dismissal, after he helped pull the Cubs from 10 games below .500 in early June to 12 games above in early September, came as even more of a surprise than Renteria’s.
‘‘Am I the right guy to lead this group to a World Series? I damn sure hope so,’’ Ross told the Sun-Times in August. ‘‘I hope so because I’m here, I give a lot of time and effort, we all sacrifice stuff to get here and there’s nothing I want more. I don’t have this life because I just want money or the prestige of being the manager of the Chicago Cubs. I want to give back to the people who have given to me, and that’s [chairman] Tom [Ricketts], that’s Jed and that’s these players.’’
The Cubs spoke highly of Ross after the season, despite an 83-79 finish that fell short of a playoff berth. Counsell’s Brewers delivered the decisive blow during the final series of the regular season.
‘‘I think Rossy did a great job,’’ Ricketts said at the end of the season. ‘‘He creates a great clubhouse culture. The players love playing for him. He keeps a steady, balanced approach game in and game out that you need over the course of 162 games.’’
During the course of four seasons at the helm, including two rebuilding years, Ross amassed a 262-284 record and led the Cubs to the NL Central title during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
When asked at the end of this season whether Ross was the man to lead the Cubs in a final push for another championship, whenever that time comes, Ricketts said: ‘‘I think Rossy had a great season and the players play hard for him and he’s our guy.’’
The Cubs didn’t contact the Brewers to get permission to talk with Counsell before his contract expired at the end of October, a source confirmed, so the hire came together quickly. Counsell is expected to carry considerable weight in shaping his coaching staff with the Cubs.
In Counsell’s nine seasons managing the Brewers, they won three NL Central titles and went 707-625. This past season, the Brewers (92-70) handily beat out the Cubs for the division title before losing two consecutive games to the Diamondbacks in an NL wild-card series.
The free-agent and trade markets generally start heating up around the winter meetings in December. But in addition to offseason planning, the Cubs have a lot of work ahead of them, from finalizing Counsell’s staff to filling holes in the front office.
The Cubs have lost two assistant general managers in the last two years. Craig Breslow, also the senior vice president of pitching, recently became the Red Sox’ chief baseball officer. Jeff Greenberg, who is now the Tigers’ GM, left the Cubs for the Blackhawks in April 2022.
The Cubs think Breslow left the pitching department in a good position, which gives them flexibility as they reinforce their front-office ranks. They are expected to look inside and outside the organization but still have to narrow their list of candidates for those roles.
NOTES: The Cubs traded minor-league left-hander Brendon Little to the Blue Jays for cash and added infielder Luis Vazquez to the 40-man roster.
• Right-hander Nick Burdi cleared waivers, and the Cubs outrighted him to Triple-A Iowa.
• First baseman Jared Young was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals, and right-hander Jeremiah Estrada was claimed off waivers by the Padres.
