Is David Ross in jeopardy of getting fired after the Cubs’ July meltdown?

It’s looking more likely the Chicago Cubs will have a different look next month. Could David Ross be among the impending changes?

In just a matter of two weeks, the Chicago Cubs went from being a first-place team to falling 8.5 games behind the division-leading Brewers, and eight games out of a Wild Card spot. Chicago has lost 18 of 24 games, encapsulated by a horrific 11-game losing streak. Everything fell apart at the worst time.

Now the Cubs appear to be sellers at the upcoming July 30 trade deadline. It’s looking more likely the team’s core players of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez could be wearing different jerseys next month. Among the other trade chips on the team will be Craig Kimbrel, Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin, and Zach Davies.

Whether it’s a retool, or a complete rebuild, the Cubs will look different. The recent losing has brought many questions into play, including the job security of second-year manager David Ross.

The short answer is, no, Ross will not be fired after this season.

Ross fared well in his first season last summer, leading the Cubs to a division title despite everything that took place in the pandemic-shortened season. It wasn’t pretty statistically, but at the end of the day, Chicago found a way to get it done. The Cubs were also the only team in the majors not to have a player on the big-league roster test positive for COVID-19.

Expect David Ross to get a fresh start with a revamped Cubs roster

Despite the division crown, the Cubs were quickly eliminated in two games by the Marlins in the first round of the 2020 postseason. Rather than add significant additions in the past offseason, owner Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer opted to make subtractions.

They let Kyle Schwarber and Jon Lester walk away for nothing in return, and they traded NL Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish to San Diego for a group of teenage prospects. Let’s not forget, they also sent backup catcher Victor Caratini away in that deal with Darvish, and ironically the Cubs have been desperate to find a reliable backup this season.

So you can’t put too much blame on Ross. The biggest weaknesses were always there for the team, and they’ve been exposed in the last two weeks of losing.

It’s more than likely Ross gets at least one more shot next summer with a revamped roster. A fresh start for everyone might be best for the future success of the Cubs.