We got ourselves a little spat between Craig Counsell and Dave Roberts. It began when the Chicago Cubs skipper asked about his current situation with the pitching staff, which has become somewhat dire in April. The team’s top two starters have been out, and Cade Horton won’t be returning until next summer. Meanwhile, the bullpen has lost three high-leverage pitchers, most recently closer Daniel Palencia, to the injured list because of an oblique strain.
It was a general question, as the Cubs aren’t the ones dealing with extensive pitching injuries in MLB, but Counsell’s response did come off a bit whiny.
Via The Athletic.
While dealing with a cluster of injuries on his pitching staff, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell was asked for an explanation as to why clubs in these situations don’t have additional roster flexibility. Counsell paused, exhaled and referenced the Los Angeles Dodgers during Monday’s pregame media briefing at Wrigley Field, describing Major League Baseball’s Shohei Ohtani rule as “bizarre.”
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“I’ve never understood it,” Counsell said. “It’s an offensive rule, essentially. It’s a rule to help offense, more than anything, if you ask me. And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and he gets special consideration, which is probably the most bizarre rule. For one team.”
It’s not called the Shohei Ohtani rule, but it is very much implemented because of the Japanese superstar. In simplest terms, the Los Angeles Dodgers have 13 pitchers on their active roster, and Ohtani, who has returned to the team’s starting rotation, is technically their 14th pitcher. However, Ohtani is not counted as a pitcher on the Dodgers’ 26-man roster. All MLB teams are only allowed to carry 13 pitchers on the active roster until Sept. 1, when rosters expand.
Counsell thinks it’s unfair that the Dodgers get to carry that extra pitcher on the active roster, and well, it just kind of sounds like sour grapes. Plus, if we take a step back and the rule went the other way, it would be really unfair for the Dodgers to be docked a pitcher spot on the active roster.
To qualify for a two-way designation, players must meet the following criteria in either the current season or any of the two previous seasons:
- Pitched at least 20 major-league innings
- Started at least 20 games as a position player or DH, with at least three plate appearances in each of those games
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked about Counsell’s comments, and in more eloquent words, his message was pretty much tough shit.
Ohtani was a free agent, and the Cubs had a chance to sign him. He chose to sign with the Dodgers, and they get to benefit from having a unicorn.
