By: Will Farlow 

The Chicago Cubs finished the 2023 season with a rough finish to the regular season halting their postseason hopes. The Northsiders have a good farm system with talent at the major league level. David Ross did a phenomenal job developing this young Cubs team to where it currently is in the 2023-2024 offseason. The Cubs ownership and front office sees the team can try to get back to the World Series in the near future. I feel this is why the Cubs yesterday made a move early in their offseason that fans will never forget. Late Monday afternoon  the Chicago Cubs fired manager David Ross to hire former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

Craig Counsell becoming the manager for the Chicago Cubs is a very smart, aggressive move by the Chicago Cubs front office. Counsell is in line to be the National League Manager of the Year for 2023. The Cubs signed their new manager to a five year 40 million-dollar-deal which is the largest manager contract in MLB history. I like this move for a young Cubs team that now has its fanbase in the cold Chicago months ahead dreaming of another World Series push in 2024. The Cubs already have strong talent around the baseball diamond and the pitching staff. Prospects like Pete Crowe Armstrong and youngsters like Christopher Morel give the fans hope for the future. The Cubs needed a manager also to make better in game decisions , and Counsell brings his experience to the Northside of Chicago. I also heard form analysts on Twitter that the Cubs manager job was a dream choice for Counsell.

The Cubs also just found stronger NL Central rivalry grow with the Milwaukee Brewers following their new manager hire. The Brewers owner spoke saying the new Cubs manager is no longer welcome by his organization and the community in Milwaukee. Brewers fans will sure be circling matchups in the future with the Cubs and their new manager. Congratulations to a talented Chicago Cubs team being aggressive early by bringing in the right manager to take them back to a possible World Series in the near future. Good luck to the new Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. I personally think the Cubs made in the first day of free agency the biggest free agent signing of the year. Fans of other Major League Baseball teams should take notice of this team that calls historic Wrigley Field home. Chances are this will not be the only aggressive offseason move by the Cubs, but I give them props for a smart hire in their new manager Craig Counsell.

By: Will Farlow 

The Chicago White Sox are one of Major League Baseball’s disappointing teams since 2021. The Southsiders entered this offseason with some tough decisions to make to improve their future. Tim Anderson has been a strong player since his first White Sox game in 2016. Anderson since then played his worst career major league season in 2023. Disrespect to other players, injury, and inconsistent play led to a shocking decision for GM Chris Getz. The White Sox earlier this afternoon declined the 14 million-dollar player option on Tim Anderson making him a free agent.

Anderson showed strong, consistent hitting during his career as a shortstop. The former first round pick hit well , but still needed to improve his defense. I admired his ability to try to change the game with his famous bat flip. Anderson will also be in baseball history for his walkout homer in the White Sox win in the first MLB Field of Dreams game in 2021. Tim in my opinion did good things on and off the field , but poor personal choices clouded his reputation in the eyes of fans. The altercation of Anderson fighting Guardians infielder Jose Ramirez tipped the scale of his view in the eyes of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Tim showed poor representation of White Sox baseball by inconsistency at the plate. The White Sox letting the star shortstop go sends a message to fans.

Chicago White Sox players need to take this as a sign that things can continue to change during the offseason. Chris Getz did not sign these players on the major league club. Tim Anderson’s current departure leaves the position open to top prospect Colson Montgomery in 2024. I see this as a step to the White Sox retool a positive for the team playing better moving forward. Fans will miss the times Anderson wore a White Sox uniform , but something had to be done to fix this team. Thank you Tim Anderson for the great memories , but its time to move on to a new player at shortstop. The former first round pick just got a shocking bat flip of his own from the White Sox. Good luck Tim Anderson you might need it this offseason.

By: Will Farlow

The Chicago Bears have had a glaring need in their defensive line. Defensive ends show key importance to the strength of an NFL team’s defensive success. The bears made smart moves drafting and signing good defensive pieces . The Monsters of the Midway made a smart trade deadline move acquiring Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. Earlier this afternoon Sweat received a four year 98 million extension.

The extension was a smart move by Ryan Poles . I feel this cements a key piece for the Bears defense moving forward. Sweat is a great talent that can help ignite a young Bears defense. I feel seeing his experience that this new Chicago Bear will be a smart move to positively help the team. The extension means there is less need at defensive end in the upcoming offseason , and one less target in the draft.

The question still is how Sweat will play in his first game as a Bear on Sunday. Time is a factor for new players fitting in with their new teammates. Sweat in his introductory press conference seems confident he can fit in well. The extension overall gives Bears fans relief that the team is continuing to improve. However, more still needs to be done to make that reality. The Montez Sweat extension is no more than just a step toward that direction.