MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 6, 2022

David Ross

Chicago Cubs

Press Conference

Q. What do you think of Cody Bellinger as a player?

DAVID ROSS: He's good. Former MVP. Got a track record of a lot of success and dynamic defense.

I remember when he first got in the league first base, smooth hands, dynamic center fielder, great outfielder. Hadn't had the success he had early on, but definitely a lot of potential for a great player.

Q. For a player like him and the hole that you guys have in center field, are you more concerned about having solid defense there plus defense there and hope the offense can play up?

DAVID ROSS: He's a really good fit from a perspective of it is great defense, great base running, left-handed bat with the potential to have an uptick offensively with that works out.

Q. What's the thought process on some of the decline the last couple of years? Is it just health?

DAVID ROSS: I think that's got to play a part in it. Playing through an injury, trying to come back, and learning how to balance, wanting to be out on the field and actually getting fully healthy, I think, is what a lot of players in my experience deal with and try to rush back and maybe not getting all the way there.

And getting into a space where you've got a leg issue, you've got a shoulder issue, and you get into some bad habits. Bad habits create mistakes or make it tougher to hit, and then you get into this rabbit hole of chasing the feeling that you used to have and where you're at mechanically.

So there's a lot of freedom and getting a full off-season to get healthy and recognize that, and change of scenery sometimes is a benefit for a lot of guys.

Q. How important was it from your perspective to add a left-handed bat to the lineup?

DAVID ROSS: We haven't added anything yet, but the potential to add a left-handed bat in our lineup was really important. We're heavy right-handed. Being able to have that versatility is nice. I don't think it's a must, but having a couple guys in there that can break that up. Happer being a switch hitter, obviously get that dynamic, but having another left-handed bat in the lineup, as things shake out right now, would be nice.

Q. Are you getting a sense that you guys might be able to get one of those shortstops out there that everybody's talking about?

DAVID ROSS: I know we're in play on a lot of players, and I think that is a position that we've been involved in. I think we'll wait and see. There's a lot of great players out there. There's also a lot of great teams in the mix to try to add players.

I know that our front office is working their tail off daily just trying to form the best roster and team that we can possibly have. So I have a lot of confidence in their ability to continue to add dynamic players for sure.

Q. What kind of guy is Carlos Correa after getting a chance to spend some time with him?

DAVID ROSS: I've met with a lot of players. I think my favorite part of this off-season so far is meeting with some of those dynamic free agents. We met with so many of them, it's nice to talk baseball with some of the best players in the world. To get in that room, I've learned a lot. You hear a lot of different perspectives. It's made me better. And it's fun to tell players who haven't been a part of what Chicago is and how great a place it is. It's an easy sell.

Q. You got to play with Xander. What stands out to you about his rookie year and then the player he's become since?

DAVID ROSS: The person. The person, right? I think you guys can look at the numbers, but like X is a leader. He was at an early age. He's the guy that sets the example. He's got a good attitude. He's a worker, brings it every single day.

And he lights up a room. I don't know how much you guys have been around him, but he lights up a room when he walks in. Just a special human being. Good player but a special person.

Q. What's your pitch to these guys just in terms of what you envision this team to be this season?

DAVID ROSS: I don't think I have a pitch. Just talking to you guys, like I just answer the questions or what is it like, what's this like, what's your experience with this, what are you like, what are some things that are important to you, what have you learned about -- you know, like it's conversations about baseball.

I'm not in the room to sell anybody -- I don't think we're at a space where we have to sell the Chicago Cubs. I think it's a special place. I think the convincing or the expectation that thing are going in the right direction, I think a lot of guys that are knowledgeable in baseball see. So I'm just there answering questions.

Q. Do you get questions like are you guys still rebuilding, that kind of thing?

DAVID ROSS: We get all kind of questions, and I think it's all -- no, we don't get that. I think the question along that line is probably more on what does next year look like? What's the vision? What's the plan? How does that -- how do I fit going forward? That kind of stuff.

Q. What's the answer to that question?

DAVID ROSS: It's not that specific. I'm kind of like spitballing. Everybody asks. I should have brought a tape recorder. I would have just given it to you guys.

These are multiple meetings over a long stretch of time here lately. I don't have any specifics for you. I think that we've got a really good chance to win with our organization moving forward.

Q. We've seen you after losses. You don't like to lose no matter if you're 20 games under .500 or --

DAVID ROSS: You can probably say that about any manager.

Q. But it's obvious with you.

DAVID ROSS: Don't single me out (laughter).

Q. His point is you're particularly brusk.

DAVID ROSS: Am I? I'll try to be better next year.

Q. Is there a point of excitement where things are happening. This is going to turn around. The teardown and this little rebuild here?

DAVID ROSS: I'm confident we're moving in the right direction for sure. I definitely think like we're going to continue to add talented pieces. Got a chance to back off and like just look at some of the stuff that was going on in the Minor Leagues that's coming and some of the going back to being in these meetings, you walk through the dynamic of how things have been done in the past and what that took and what trajectory we're on. You try to line those things up.

So, yeah, I think there's a bright future ahead.

Q. How much do you need that guy that's like not only maybe a star player, who's also the personality you kind of need in the clubhouse? Because not everybody wants to do that. How much do you need that?

DAVID ROSS: I think the most what I would say is what we're looking for is there's a guy that fits our way, and we've got to fit that guy's way, right? Like that person has to be bought into what we're expecting, and some of the characteristics you're talking about of leadership, the expectation to carry a contract, the expectation to perform every day with expectations, to be willing to still be the same person whether it's good or bad, and some of those characteristics.

Take the guys to dinner. Maybe the person's wife needs to lead the family room. The dynamic within some of that is real that you're talking about. All those things are important, and we look at it all. It's got to be a mutual fit.

I think we look at those things sometimes like we want this one person because they're the best player on paper or got the best whatever we're looking at, and it's not always about that to me.

Q. Do you have a guy in mind?

DAVID ROSS: Right now any of the guys we've met with I would love on my team.

Q. I know you're saying you don't have a sales pitch, but is there something that excites you the most about what you can sell when it comes to this organization right now and what you can provide for players?

DAVID ROSS: Yeah, I mean, like I start talking about the Cubs, and I have diarrhea of the mouth sometimes. That's probably a bad quote.

Q. I was thinking about a headline possibility.

DAVID ROSS: That's another one down here for you. God dang it, I'm hot today. I'm on fire.

(Laughter).

I would say I get really excited to talk about what it's like to win in Chicago, what our organization's all about, the expectations that the fans have and how they support us, the facilities we have, the coaching staff, the support staff, our front office, our ownership.

Like I start talking about those things, I have really great memories and experiences with all of that, all of Chicago -- the city itself, the people, all the way down to the baby-sitting. Like it's all-encompassing.

So when they ask me questions, it's really easy to talk positively about our group, and it's just genuine. So I think that's the -- I hope that's what these players see and recognize is that it's just genuine realness from me that I really believe that because I've experienced it and I know what it's like and I can speak from my true experiences as a player.

Q. When you look at up the middle defense, from catcher, middle infield, center field, how do you view --

DAVID ROSS: I was blanked out. I was thinking about my terrible quote. What did you say?

Q. It wasn't that bad until you brought attention to it.

DAVID ROSS: Thank you. I appreciate the love.

Q. Up the middle defense from catcher, middle infield, center field, how do you view elite defense upgrading that area for you guys and what it could do for you this season? Especially when you take into account the shift restrictions, and how important do you think it is addressing that part of your guys' roster over this off-season?

DAVID ROSS: The best teams I've been on played elite defense, and I think that is something I think you can bring to a team every single day. Up the middle is obviously important, but it's everywhere, right? Obviously taking away the shift, that's going to be the more athletic, more dynamic players you can get, the better that's going to help.

I think it helps your pitching staff. People don't recognize, we don't talk enough about how the pitching and defense go together, and I think a lot of our success in the second half was solely on how we pitched and played defense in a lot of areas, and the pitching definitely carried us through a lot of those really good series that we were able to play some clean baseball.

So not beating yourself, pitching and catching and doing things fundamentally sound, you can bring every single day. I think hitting is extremely hard. I think it's very -- can be very streaky and comes and goes.

Yeah, that's exciting to have the potential to be dynamic up the middle.

Q. Thinking back to Spring Training, around the time you guys signed Seiya, and he talked about how exciting it was to be in the rumors and discussions like that. Now a few months later you're (indiscernible). What is the excitement level now with the Winter Meetings and all that stuff going on?

DAVID ROSS: I think the thing about Seiya, that was one player. This is a big pool of people that you're just kind of all over the place, so it's a lot of sit back and wait, to be honest. It's a lot of like, yeah, sure, it's nice to talk about the best players in the world and have those conversations and how they fit and what do you like most about this guy or that guy, and you just walk through that and have those baseball conversations are really fun.

But as far as excitement, I don't think you can get excited because there's back and forth, there's negotiating, and that can take a lot of twists and turns.

Q. Have you talked to Seiya about participating in the WBC? Is he going to play?

DAVID ROSS: I'll leave that for Seiya to talk about, but I have had conversations with Seiya, yes.

Q. How do you balance wanting him to have normal Spring Training or a regular buildup versus like how cool it is to represent your country?

DAVID ROSS: Yeah, I think selfishly -- or I put myself in his shoes. I would have loved to play for Team USA. How cool is that? You're going to get into the best competition in the world and be able to compete at a high level for your country, I would never want to take that away from anybody and always kind of push that experience to you should play if that's where your heart is.

He's our starting right fielder. He's going to be in the lineup. So whether you have a clean Spring Training and things aren't perfect to start our whatever, if that was the case, or maybe he starts on fire because of already facing great pitching, none of us know that, but I don't think that's something we'll blame or make an excuse.

It doesn't matter. You've got to go out and play and perform and win games. He's our starting right fielder. He'll be prepared. He works his tail off.