David Ross Extension, Way-To-Early Opening Day Thoughts, and Other Cubs Tidbits

 Recently, I realized that Ross is entering his final year of contract as Cubs manager (though there is a club option for 2023), and I thought I'd take a little time and evaluate him as a manager.

Now, an MLB manager manages the lineups, pinch hitters, pitchers, challenges, etc., so sometimes it can be difficult to properly evaluate a manager because he has to work with whatever the team gives him. Ross led the Cubs to a NL Central pennant but lost to the Marlins in the first series. In 2021, the Cubs had a losing record of 71-91, but that can't be entirely blamed on Ross. Considering the group he was working with, and the players that were on the *verge* of breaking out, plus all the Cubs' core players being traded, I still think he did a respectable job.

I notice a couple things in particular that really stand out to me in regard to Ross, so I'll mention them here:

• The bullpen. You have to remember, that a year ago at this time Tepera and Chafin were not considered dominant relievers. I think that mainly due to Ross' frequent use of them and the opportunity they got to prove themselves, were one of the factors that lead them to be very valuable relievers. The same with Wieck and Kimbrel, both rebounding in 2021. I think the "call to the bullpen" is actually one of Ross' strong suits, and that is definitely a vital part to the game.
• The clubhouse management. Ross was playing in a Cubs uniform back in 2016, so it really hasn't been that long since Ross was the player being managed and he developed a comradery with a lot of the players, who have since been traded (save for Contreras, Heyward and Hendricks). That has certainly helped in his management of the team, and I hope those three continue to give that veteran support and help Ross manage a team of a lot of new players.

I like Ross as Cubs manager. I like the fact that he helped the Cubs win the WS and is a full-blown Cubs fan and not just an analytics junkie who likes baseball. Should the Cubs focus on extending him? I absolutely think they should. I like his leadership plus his approachable personality, and with combination I think he makes a great manager.

Having not a whole lot else to think about in the baseball realm, I was thinking ahead to the Cubs' Opening Day vs the Reds. One big question that I'm thinking about is: who gets the OD starting pitcher role? Hendricks has gotten the role the last couple years, even being picked over Yu Darvish in 2020. He's a veteran pitcher and leader, and also a fan favorite, but what about Marcus Stroman, who also quickly became a Cubs fan favorite?

Stroman obviously had better success in 2021 than Hendricks but giving a veteran Cubs pitcher the OD starting role seems like a move the Cubs would make. Still plenty of time to figure it out, just a thought I've been wondering about.

Since I love seeing Schwindel getting plenty of Cubs love, I stumbled on an interesting stat that I shared a few days ago:

Fun fact:
Anthony Rizzo: 112 wRC+ and a 1.6 WAR in 2021
Frank Schwindel: 152 wRC+ and a 2.1 WAR in 2021

— Cubbies Gazette (@cubbies_gazette) December 30, 2021

Kind of funny, isn't it?

Anyway, that's all for now, and if you have any other questions or comments, make sure you leave them below!