Chicago Cubs Manager Counsell Could Make Front Office Decisions

After being hired as manager of the Chicago Cubs, Craig Counsell could also have massive influence in the front office as well.

As Craig Counsell begins his tenure as manager of the Chicago Cubs, president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, also made some interesting comments about what role he'll play within the organization.

It seems that Counsell will not only be leading the Cubs on the field, but will also have some say in the front office as well.

“I really like that aspect of him in the sense that I want to have those conversations about roster-building or different things ... It’s very clear he thinks about things both as a manager but also roster-building. That’s really appealing," Hoyer told Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.

Counsell has previous experience working in a front office.

He was a special assistant to Milwaukee Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin for two seasons before taking over their managerial job in 2015.

Sharma also notes that there is an opening for input within the front office now that Chicago has lost two of their executives to different jobs over the years.

"While Counsell wants to be involved in roster-building and Hoyer shares that desire for him, there’s a lot on each of their plates. So the primary focus will always be on their individual jobs ... there is a need for more voices when big decisions are being made. Counsell could wield legitimate power in the organization now," Sharma writes in his piece.

Whether this range that the highly thought of manager brings to the table ultimately was the reason why he was hired by the Cubs is unknown, but it seems like this is the exact match that the organization was seeking between executive and manager.

"But in Counsell, Hoyer sees the prototype for what he wants in a partner as the modern manager — someone who can take care of everything in the dugout, while also seeing the game like a front-office member," Sharma writes.

What type of say the manager has within the front office will be seen in years to come, but it looks like the five-year, $40 million deal is for something more than just coaching from the dugout.