Andy Green’s return to a full-time managerial job closed one door for David Ross, and maybe one of the more obvious ones.
Green, who had insisted after taking over as interim manager that he did not want the job long-term, changed course and agreed to a three-year extension in Queens, with the deal announced Tuesday. The former Chicago Cubs bench coach is now the Mets’ manager after stepping in for the fired Carlos Mendoza and, by all accounts, handling the role well both in the clubhouse and with the media.
For Ross, that matters. The former Cubs catcher has been out of a dugout since Chicago moved on from him in favor of Craig Counsell before the 2024 season, but he still fits the profile of a candidate for any opening that pops up. Green’s new deal, though, removes one possible landing spot.
Ross’s path back to managing could still open elsewhere. The remaining situations to watch, according to the source material, are Houston, Seattle, Arizona and possibly Philadelphia, with Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy already getting long-term certainty in Boston.
The Astros, Mariners and Diamondbacks all appear headed toward managerial changes at season’s end, and Joe Espada, Dan Wilson and Torey Lovullo are aware of that reality. Since none of those clubs seem likely to tear everything down right away, the thinking is they could lean toward someone with previous managerial experience - which keeps Ross in the conversation.
He won’t be the only name in the mix. The reported field also includes Hall of Famers Albert Pujols and Carlos Beltran, along with former World Series-winning manager Alex Cora. And as always, there are likely to be a few dark horse candidates who surface once the hiring cycle really starts to move.
In Other News...
Cubs Wild Card Rotation Suddenly Hinges On One Concerning Injury
Kevin Gausmans status has suddenly become one of the biggest questions hanging over the Cubs as they look ahead to the postseason. The right-hander hurt his left shoulder while making a defensive play against the Miami Marlins, and manager Craig Counsell confirmed the injury after the game. Gausman later said the shoulder felt weak afterward, which is hardly the kind of update a team wants to hear with October approaching.
Now the Cubs are left to wait and see how the next few days unfold. His availability for the postseason will depend on how the shoulder responds, and that puts extra attention on a rotation spot that looked a lot more settled before this setback. For a team trying to line up its pitching for a Wild Card run, the timing of the injury makes the coming monitoring period especially important. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Architect Is Suddenly Back In A Front Office Spotlight
Jason McLeod, a familiar name from the Cubs rebuild years, has popped back into the front-office conversation in a way that should catch the attention of anyone who watched Chicago climb from a long-term project into a contender. Now a special assistant and vice president of baseball operations with the Arizona Diamondbacks, McLeod was mentioned in an anonymous MLB agent survey as a preferred candidate for a general manager job, with the responses grouping him alongside other executives and managers as a strong leadership fit.
For Cubs fans, it is a reminder that the people who helped shape that era are still getting noticed around the industry. There has been no confirmed move or official job opening tied to McLeod, and his future at the top of an MLB front office remains speculative for now, but the mention alone is enough to put him back on the radar in a league that is always searching for the next well-regarded operator. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Clinched October But Their Biggest Wild Card Fight Remains
The Cubs have already checked the biggest box by punching their ticket to October for the second straight season, and they did it with a 2-1 win over the Marlins that kept them firmly in the postseason picture. But even with a playoff berth secured, there is still plenty at stake over the final stretch, because Chicago is headed for the Wild Card round and remains locked in a tight race for the best possible seeding.
Midseason moves were made to steady the pitching and give this roster a better chance to survive the grind of a short series, and those decisions now look even more important. The Cubs also hold tiebreakers over the Padres and Phillies, a potentially valuable edge if the race stays this close, which means the standings around them could matter just as much as anything happening inside Wrigley over the next few days. [Read more 🡒]