Cubs rumors: Counsell's first comments, Morel's murky future, Boras on Belli

Here's what Craig Counsell's first comments were after accepting Cubs managerial role

The Cubs have a new skipper for 2024 and beyond, signing Craig Counsell to a massive five-year deal to replace David Ross. Ross was believed to have job security exiting the 2023 season. That, evidently, may have been the case, were it not for former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell becoming available and on the market.

Counsell skirted opportunities with the Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets to join the Cubs, the latter of which was thought to be most likely because it would have reunited him with executive David Stearns, who he worked with in Milwaukee.

It feels like a win for Chicago who not only got a highly sought-after manager, but also hired him away from a division rival.

Counsell spoke to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about the pivot recently. Here are some of his key comments.

Counsell said he really wanted a new challenge.

“I think as I was going through this process, it became clear that I needed and wanted a new professional challenge. At the same time, look, I'm grateful to be part of this community. And that's going to continue, hopefully, because it has nothing to do with baseball, that part of it. I'm looking forward to being part of a new community and hopefully impact our community well, too. But as I went through it, it just became clear that I needed a new challenge.”

He also indicated the fact that Chicago gave him one advantage Cleveland and New York couldn't: The ability to take a new role and challenge up without having to uproot everything. Milwaukee and Chicago are not quite a Megalopolis, but are in close proximity. The commute isn't too bad.

“In looking at my decision, you're considering a number of things, and the challenging part of this industry is that there's one job in 30 places in 30 different cities and me still preserving what I think is a great situation (family-wise). I was able to do that, yet also get a professional challenge. But the proximity made this attractive.”

He noted that the excitement around the Cubs and their desire to, "do some special things," was attractive to him, but that the challenge and change does not come without some anxiety.

“I mean, it's just, it's a challenge to me with an organization that is very much in a good place and is just trying to do some special things. So, that part of it certainly is exciting and alluring. And, you know, it's a challenge. It's going to be hard. It's scary. Because change is scary. But sometimes you need to push yourself out of that comfort zone, and that makes it exciting.”

His discussion in the interview with the Journal was largely framed around his goodbye to Milwaukee. Cubs fans will surely hear thoughts aimed more at the Cubs and his viewpoint toward the new role soon enough.