The Chicago Cubs made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in MLB two winters ago with the expectation he would make up for a lack of roster investment. That was always an unrealistic strategy, and it would appear the Cubs agree, as they had one of the more active offseasons of any big-market team this winter.
Counsell isn't afraid to explain his decisions to the media, and often takes responsibility for his mistakes. He is right more than he is wrong, which is all Cubs fans can ask of him. Counsell is also cautious with his players, which they tend to appreciate and should pay off for Chicago in the long run via trades and free agency. Having a players' manager in charge does help, especially when that manager isn't constantly looking over his shoulder.
That being said, Cubs fans haven't been kind to Counsell thus far. By the end of his first season in charge, Counsell was a frequent source of frustration among Cubs fans. It took just one game for fans in the north side to reach the same conclusion as they did in 2024 – Chicago is overpaying Counsell.
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Craig Counsell made the right call, but Cubs fans don't think so
I'd argue that is not the case, but when Counsell dared to removed Shota Imanaga with a no-hitter when he was shy of 70 pitches, Cubs fans were unhappy. Counsell defended his choice postgame as he always does, but his explanation will not appease fans.
“Getting to 70 was about the pitch number,” Counsell told reporters at the Tokyo Dome after the game. “That was kind of the number we had for Shota, and as he finished that [fourth] inning, it was the right time to take him out.”
To Counsell's point, we are in mid-March. Under normal circumstances, Imanaga would still be making spring training starts and ramping up to regular season capabilities. The Tokyo Series changes matters slightly, but the Cubs shouldn't overreact to two games overseas. They need Imanaga healthy for the long haul.
“He also, I think you have to understand the energy that you use just in an environment like this,” Counsell said. “I think we saw that certainly from both guys.”
The Cubs are electing to be conservative with their starting pitching, which is why they had Ben Brown ready to go behind Imanaga. Japanese fans got to watch one of their favorite players for several innings, but Counsell refused to forfeit longevity for favoritism. He has the Cubs best interest in mind.