Craig Counsell on Cubs: 'We should try to be building 90-win teams here'
CHICAGO (670 The Score) – The reality of another lost season at Clark and Addison isn't sitting well with first-year Cubs manager Craig Counsell.
On Thursday, a day after the Brewers – Counsell's former team – clinched the NL Central crown, Counsell challenged the entire Cubs organization to improve in 2025 as the club plays out the string with a 78-75 record. In a matter of days, the Cubs will be officially eliminated from playoff contention, which will mark the fourth straight year they miss the postseason.
Counsell was animated in his pregame media session Thursday as he addressed the state of the organization.
"We got to get better, man," Counsell said. "The team we're chasing is 10 games ahead of us. We got to get better. And we should try to be building 90-win teams here. That's like what you have to do, that's a playoff standard. That's what you got to get to, to be safely in the playoffs, right? Safely in the tournament. So from that perspective, we got a ways to go."
Counsell signed a five-year, $40-million deal with the Cubs last offseason with the intention of helping them take the next step and get to the playoffs. The Cubs started 17-9 but then faltered for much of May and June and have since hovered around .500 all season.
The group lacked star power entering the season, and highly paid players like shortstop Dansby Swanson and outfielder Cody Bellinger have had decent seasons but haven't performed at the higher level they did in 2023. The Cubs bullpen also struggled mightily this season.
"There's a big gap," Counsell said of the Cubs and Brewers, who are 10 games ahead in the standings. "They're ahead of us by a lot. It's a talented team, on and off the field. That's a talented team. But there's a big gap, and we got room to make up. There's no question about it. Frankly, that makes it daunting. They've been good, man.
"We've got room to go, man. We've got work to do for sure."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
