Cubs fire Ross, signs Counsell

After 53-year-old Craig Counsell's contract with the Brewers expired, he was seeking a new job. The Cubs hired him with a $40 million, 5-year contract, making him the highest paid manager in the MLB. They sacked their current manager, David Ross, a former MLB catcher who retired after the 2016 season. Ross was hired as a special assistant in baseball operations in 2017. The Cubs hired them as their manager 2019 with no managing experience.

"This is no knock on Rossy, who I think incredibly highly of" Said the Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. "But Craig is at the very top of the game. It's hard to rank managers but he's at the very top of the game."