Cubs manager David Ross has received a contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through at least the 2024 season.
Ross, who took over as the team’s manager after the departure of Joe Maddon following the 2019 season, also has an option to remain with the Cubs through 2025.
The #Cubs have agreed to terms with manager David Ross on a contract extension through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025. pic.twitter.com/8W95WMqbCK
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 11, 2022
When Ross was first hired it seemed like a pretty good situation for a first-time manager. Despite the Cubs not spending in free agency during the 2019-20 offseason the roster was still filled with stars. But to say Ross’ time with the Cubs hasn’t been normal would be an understatement. He had to wait until the late stages of July to manage his first regular season game after the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down and a year later the front office dealt away the team’s biggest stars at the trade deadline. Those moves came after the front office provided less than stellar pitching depth that sunk the Cubs in 2021.
This year won’t be normal either, at least to start as spring training was delayed for a month because of MLB’s lockout that not only stopped transactions for almost 100 days, but no contact could occur between major league personnel and players on the 40-man roster.
So really, can anyone judge how good or not so good Ross is as a manager?
For now Ross will be tasked to manage a team in a transition year (unless some major moves occur in the next couple weeks) before the Cubs are truly competitive again.
Along with the extension news the team has also announced a few coaching changes.
A couple tweaks to Ross’ coaching staff:
• Mike Napoli now first-base coach
• Craig Driver now game strategy and catching coach— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 11, 2022
Mike Napoli joined Ross’ crew in 2020 as a quality assurance coach, while Craig Driver spent the past two seasons as the Cubs’ first base coach and catching coach.
