The Chicago Cubs shocked the world last winter when they managed to sign manager Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers. It was viewed as an act of betrayal by Counsell by those in the Milwaukee area, with the Cubs kicking David Ross to the curb in the process. Flash forward to almost a year later, the Cubs missed out on the postseason altogether, while the Brewers cruised to the NL Central title under new manager Pat Murphy.
This week, Counsell admitted to reporters that there is a "big gap" between the Cubs and Brewers, and there is a lot of work to be done by Chicago to catch up.
That means there is an important, tough offseason ahead of the Cubs to try and make up ground with the Brewers. USA Today's Bob Nightengale brings up an important point in all of this — the Brewers are only going to get healthier next season.
The Brewers managed to win the NL Central with relative ease even without their star Christian Yelich, who underwent season-ending back surgery. Not to mention, they lost two starting pitchers in Wade Miley and Brandon Woodruff for the season. Miley had to undergo Tommy John surgery back in April, while Woodruff missed the entirety of the 2024 campaign due to shoulder surgery. All three of these players are set to return next season (Miley has a mutual option for 2025). That only makes Milwaukee better.
Plus, Counsell openly admitting that the Cubs are so far behind the Brewers in terms of roster and contention, one has to wonder if this would hurt their chances of signing free agents this winter. Specifically, that could hurt chances with free agents looking to compete in 2025.
Nightengale brings up a nugget in which the Brewers could be linked to Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker if Rhys Hoskins opts out of his contract this winter. Walker, as Nightengale notes, could have quite a market since he would come at a cheaper price than Pete Alonso of the New York Mets. Adding Walker drastically improves the Brewers even more, and is having a better season than Alonso.
The expectations were high for the Cubs after they signed Counsell, and they watched his former team make the playoffs. This offseason is extremely important for the Cubs, but it might be difficult, especially after Counsell's comments.
