Dodgers Executive Calls Out Cubs Manager Over Ohtani Rule Complaint

Clear Facts

• Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell criticized MLB’s Shohei Ohtani rules in April 2026, despite the rules being in place since 2019
• Dodgers president of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman revealed MLB consulted teams before implementing the two-way player rules
• The Dodgers do not carry extra relievers because of Ohtani — they maintain the same eight relievers and five starters as every other team

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has found himself on the receiving end of criticism from Los Angeles Dodgers executives after complaining about MLB’s rules regarding superstar Shohei Ohtani. The rules in question have been on the books since 2019, making the timing of Counsell’s objections particularly puzzling.

The controversy centers on MLB’s two-way player designation, created specifically to accommodate Ohtani’s unique abilities. When Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, baseball needed new rules to properly recognize players who could both pitch and hit at an elite level.

The first rule, implemented in 2019, allowed two-way players to remain in games as designated hitters after being removed from the mound. Previously, when a pitcher left the game, the DH spot would be forfeited.

A second rule came in 2022 when MLB expanded to 26-player rosters with a 13-pitcher maximum. Two-way players meeting specific criteria would not count against that pitcher limit, ensuring teams could still maintain proper starting rotation depth.

In a recent interview with AM 570, the Dodgers’ home radio station, team president of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman addressed Counsell’s complaints directly. Broadcaster David Vassegh asked why Counsell would raise concerns about years-old rules.

“I don’t know,” Friedman said.

“It felt very random and strange to me that he felt the need to bring it up. And when Shohei was on the Angels and MLB was considering this, they reached out to a bunch of teams, us included. And I said, ‘look, from a competitive standpoint as the Dodgers, I don’t love it, but wearing my industry hat and what’s best for Major League Baseball, it’s to do everything we can for Shohei Ohtani to be in and stay in games.'”

Friedman explained that allowing Ohtani to remain in games benefits the sport as a whole, not just individual teams.

“So that’s the part of him being able to stay in the game when he pitches. When he comes off the mound, the old rule would have been, then the hitter has to come out as well. But I was able to look at what is best for the industry and Shohei playing, and playing more often and staying in games is what is best for this game and best for the fans and everything else.”

The Dodgers executive also addressed widespread misinformation about what competitive advantage the rules actually provide. Even some baseball insiders have gotten it wrong, including former general manager and current commentator Jim Bowden.

“So that was when he was with the Angels, and as far as the 13 pitcher rule, again, it is more that we have 13 pitchers…I had to clarify this with Jim Bowden, who said that we have nine relievers…We don’t have nine relievers, we have eight relievers just like everyone else, we have five starters, like everyone else,” Friedman explained.

“It’s just when Shohei is able and the rest makes sense, Shohei pitches also. It is not that we are carrying an extra reliever relative to others.”

The Dodgers maintain the same roster construction as every other team. The advantage comes solely from Ohtani’s rare ability to excel at both hitting and pitching, not from any roster manipulation.

“So it’s certainly an advantage but it should be an advantage. What Shohei does and what he is capable of is so unique, it should be rewarded, it should be celebrated. And everyone knew the Shohei rules and had an equal opportunity to sign him two years ago. So I’m not sure where the Cubs were in that process, or what Counsell’s thoughts were on it then, but that seems like more of the relevant time to voice it than now.”

Friedman’s point cuts to the heart of the matter. Ohtani’s value exists regardless of MLB’s roster rules. No other player in baseball can deliver a 50/50 season while posting a 0.38 ERA in the first month of the year. That’s why he commanded a $700 million contract.

The Cubs, like every other team, had the opportunity to sign Ohtani when he became a free agent. They chose not to. Complaining about rules that were established years ago while Ohtani played for the Angels seems particularly hollow given that Chicago had every chance to benefit from those same rules themselves.

If teams want the Ohtani advantage, they have two options: sign elite two-way players or develop their own. Complaining about rules created with full industry input years after implementation accomplishes nothing except making those complaints look petty.

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