Cubs manager Craig Counsell emphasized on Friday that his earlier remarks questioning the so-called “Shohei Ohtani Rule” had nothing to do with the team or player it benefits.
“Look, this is not a Dodger thing, it’s not an Ohtani thing,” Counsell said. “It is a bad rule.”
Asked what made it a bad rule, Counsell replied, “That’s it. You guys figure it out. It’s a good discussion. It’s an interesting discussion, I think that it’s worth discussing too.”
But not worth discussing before the opening game of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Cubs, evidently.
MLB teams are prohibited from carrying more than 13 pitchers on their rosters, but Ohtani doesn’t count against the limit because he is classified as a two-way player. Last week, Counsell called the exception “bizarre.”
“There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player,” Counsell said.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intimated that Counsell’s comments were likely inspired by the state of the Cubs’ pitching staff. The Cubs currently have 11 pitchers on the injured list.
“I don’t think he said it maliciously,” Roberts said. “They’re going through it on the pitching side. This is a rule that’s applicable to Shohei. It’s not a Dodger rule, right? This [was] implemented when he was with the Angels.”
Earlier in the week, when hearing of Counsell’s initial remarks, Roberts defended the rule.
“We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both,” Roberts said. “He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player. It is what it is.”
