Could David Ross find a new home with the Yankees?

The Chicago Cubs shocked MLB on Monday when they emerged from the proverbial bushes and signed Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers and contenders in the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians. This happened as the team still employed manager David Ross. Shortly after reports revealed Counsell was signing a five-year, $40 million deal, the Cubs released a statement announcing that Ross had been relieved of his duties.

It was a rough turn of events for Ross, who was part of the 2016 team that broke a 108-year World Series curse. Now, what's next for Ross? What about a trip to the East Coast to join the New York Yankees?

The Athletic's Brendan Kuty (subscription required) detailed what he's heard about the Yankees' plans during the General Manager meetings in Arizona. The Yankees need a new bench coach, as Carlos Mendoza was hired to be the manager for the Mets. Kuty posited Ross as an "interesting target," citing his relationship with manager Aaron Boone, but says it's unknown if he would want the job.

"Ross has enjoyed a good relationship with manager Aaron Boone, with whom he consulted often as he interviewed for the Cubs' job before the 2020 season and talked to about how to be an effective manager once he secured the position," writes Kuty. "It's unclear, however, whether Ross, 46, would be interested in the Yankees' bench coach position."

While Ross would be a big name to bring in as bench coach, it will be dependent on whether Ross will actually want to take on that job, as Kuty mentions.

As it turns out, Ross isn't out of the managerial hunt. Even though Mendoza signed with the Mets and the Cleveland Guardians hired Stephen Vogt, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports the Padres are considering interviewing Ross for their managerial opening. The Padres needed a new skipper after they allowed Bob Melvin to interview with the rival San Francisco Giants and ultimately took their manager's job.

Ross had a 262-284 record as Cubs manager. This past season, the Cubs narrowly missed out on making the postseason, falling one game short of the eventual National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot.

Ross would be an intriguing hire, but it's not known if he would be interested in the job. Kuty says that the Yankees are expected to take their time and wait for the managerial openings to get filled before making a decision.

Who will be in the running to sign Shohei Ohtani?

MLB free agency is officially underway, and teams will evaluate the players available and who they believe can help their team contend for the World Series in 2024 and beyond. When it comes to the biggest name available, it is undoubtedly Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

The ace pitcher and elite slugger has lived up to the hype of being this generation's Babe Ruth and will look to cash in on the richest contract in baseball history this winter. That's even though he's not expected to pitch in 2024 due to an elbow injury. Now the question is, what exact teams are going to make a push for Ohtani?

The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt, Chad Jennings, and Cody Stavenhagen listed 12 teams that are expected to be in the running for Ohtani, 10 of which were listed by Jim Bowden and two that MLB players predicted as top options. The teams are as follows:

• Boston Red Sox
• Chicago Cubs
• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• New York Mets
• New York Yankees
• Philadelphia Phillies
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants
• Seattle Mariners
• Texas Rangers
• Toronto Blue Jays

The list of teams is not particularly surprising. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants have long been linked to Ohtani. One team that is a bit surprising is the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos to big contracts in recent years.

As for the two teams that players predicted as landing spots for Ohtani, they were the New York Yankees and Angels. The Athletic writers detailed that Ohtani would take over the designated hitter role permanently for the Yankees, which would force the team to either move Giancarlo Stanton to the outfield or buy-out his contract. As for the Angels, they would have to rely on Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon to remain healthy, as their farm system is depleted due to their push for a postseason berth at the trade deadline.

Ohtani will be the huge domino to fall this offseason. Whichever team does sign him to potentially a record-breaking contract, other free agents should sign in quick order. Given the amount of teams that will be interested in Ohtani, it may be deep into the winter before he makes a decision.

CBS Sports predicts favorites to trade for Juan Soto

The San Diego Padres failed to live up to their lofty expectations after falling three wins short of making it to the World Series in 2022. The team finished 82-80 and fell two games short of clinching a Wild Card berth. So far this offseason, they allowed manager Bob Melvin to leave for the San Francisco Giants. Now, the team not only needs a new manager but also to decide what to do with the roster.

Outfielder Juan Soto is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, so now's the time for the Padres to make a decision. Do they sign him to a potentially record-breaking contract? Or do they trade him this winter or at the trade deadline to ensure they get a valuable return from an interested team? The latter does seem the most likely, considering the team reportedly took out a $50 million loan to pay their players in September.

CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson listed the rankings of teams with the best chances of having Soto on their roster for Opening Day 2024. It's not a definitive "this is going to happen." Anderson says it is "an entertainment exercise." So the five favorites Anderson lists to have Soto on the Opening Day roster are in the following order:

5. San Diego Padres
4. Boston Red Sox
3. Chicago Cubs
2. New York Mets
1. New York Yankees

Now, let's evaluate the options.

The Yankees have been popularly linked to Soto this offseason. They missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and their recent moves have blown up in their faces. This would qualify as the big splash move that could appease a frustrated fanbase is seeing the team sticking by general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone. But, it's a matter of whether Steinbrenner or Cashman would even want to make the move.

Their fellow New York counterparts, the Mets, have shown they are not afraid to flex owner Steve Cohen's checkbook. But their spending spree last year backfired and they traded Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, respectively, for their top prospects. Would the Mets consider trading away prospects, potentially the ones they received in the Verlander and Scherzer deals?

The Chicago Cubs are in an interesting position, as they have a new manager in Craig Counsell. But, they are highly likely to lose outfielder Cody Bellinger in free agency. Filling the void with Soto would suffice as a quality replacement in the outfield.

As for the Boston Red Sox, you can't count them out. They are linked to Shohei Ohtani, and they lost shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency to the San Diego Padres last winter.

The Padres could very well keep him and wait for the trade deadline, as Anderson mentions that CBS Sports heard from front-office sources they are skeptical of the team trading Soto in the offseason.