Chicago Cubs: David Ross influencing offseason inactivity

The Chicago Cubs have had a quiet offseason in large part because of manager David Ross. His confidence in the roster may very well be giving Theo Epstein pause in making aggressive moves to shake things up from years past.

When the Chicago Cubs hired David Ross to replace Joe Maddon as manager this offseason, they believed that the former catcher who played a pivotal role in the organization’s 2016 World Series Championship would be able to elevate an underachieving roster that is still largely filled with talent.

Many of the faces on the Cubs’ roster were there when Ross was catching cutters from Jon Lester during that magical 2016 season. Theo Epstein and company banked on familiarity when it came to evaluating Ross as a managerial candidate, witnessing that his leadership skills and the way players gravitated towards him inside the clubhouse were vital reasons why they feel he’s the right guy for the job moving forward.

Having a personal relationship with pretty much all his players before making his managerial debut is a great advantage of Ross’s. Players already respect the heck out of him, for his words and actions carry on more meaningful impact throughout the entire organization, way more than if a different manager not previously affiliated with the organization was hired to replace Maddon.

Commanding a room full of players is a vital skill for a manager, but it’s become clear that Ross, given his history with the organization, has plenty of influence outside of just his own clubhouse. Ross no doubt has plenty of leverage when it comes to influencing the thinking of the Cubs’ front office. That’s what happens when you help the organization win the World Series, breaking a 108-year-old curse.

Per Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune beat reporter who covers the Cubs, when discussing the organization’s lack of offseason activity to date, Ross shared with a group of reporters that he simply believes that the roster currently constructed is good enough to win the World Series.

Sure, we can all applaud Ross for having unwavering confidence in his beloved team, but can’t we all see the problem in this belief? Ross is simply foolish to believe that this roster is good enough to win the World Series. Here’s why.

While the Cubs’ roster is largely the same from the won in 2016, the reality is that most of the players have regressed since that championship run. Players have gotten worse, while teams everywhere around the league are getting much better…also known as progress.

Is Epstein being indecisive regarding making trades to shake up the roster right now because he has Ross whispering in his ear every two seconds about what a great team they have? It’s very possible.

Maybe the front office wants to make one final run at a championship with the same cast of players, praying that Ross will get them all playing like champions again. Why else would you hire a guy with no managerial experience over a bunch of highly qualified candidates with better resumes?

Unless Epstein proves us all wrong and starts making notable roster changes, it’s become evident that Ross is like a secret general manager who’s own words shape the entire organization’s course of direction. And until proven otherwise, that may not be such a good thing.