The Chicago Cubs shocked the baseball world when they hired Craig Counsell and dismissed David Ross as manager of the team, and Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer detailed what went into the decision in a statement.

“Today we made the difficult decision to dismiss David Ross as our Major League Manager,” Jed Hoyer said, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David's contributions to our club, both on and off the field. First as a player and then as a manager, David continually showcased his ability to lead. David's legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations and his impact to our organization will stack up with the legends that came before him.”

Ross was a player when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, so it had to have been tough news for him to learn that he is being replaced with Craig Counsell. However, Hoyer believe that Counsell is the guy to lead them in the next couple of years.

The Cubs emerged as a playoff contender last year, but narrowly lost out on a wild card spot in the last week of the season, with some brutal losses to the Atlanta Braves playing a big part in missing out. There is some young talent on the roster, and the Cubs could be spenders this offseason to supplement that talent.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger is a free agent and could return, but the Cubs could be a suitor for Juan Soto in a potential trade as well. It will be interesting to see what Hoyer does.