Craig Counsell Questions MLB Rule Allowing Dodgers 14 Pitchers

When Craig Counsell called the Dodgers’ current pitching setup “bizarre” last week, he wasn’t just griping about a competitive imbalance—he was highlighting a structural quirk in baseball’s rulebook that’s quietly reshaping how teams build rosters, and yes, that ripple effect is being felt all the way out here in Wrigleyville. You know how it is: you’re grabbing a Half Smoke at Jimmy’s Red Hots after work, debating whether the Cubs should’ve gone after that lefty reliever in free agency, and suddenly the conversation veers into luxury tax thresholds and two-way player designations. It’s not just barstool banter anymore; it’s a direct line from Manfred’s office to the corner of Clark and Addison, where every roster move feels like it’s being weighed against a spreadsheet in Los Angeles.

The rule Counsell referenced—the one allowing Ohtani to qualify as a position player for roster purposes despite his pitching workload—exists because of the two-way player designation introduced in 2020. But what started as a niche accommodation for a once-in-a-generation talent has evolved into a loophole teams are actively exploiting. The Dodgers, flush with resources and analytical depth, have structured their pitching staff around hybrid roles and injury-prevention protocols that let them effectively carry more arms than the standard 13-pitcher limit allows, all even as staying within the letter of the CBA. It’s not cheating; it’s advanced roster engineering. And for a market like Chicago—where payroll flexibility is constrained by both market size and ownership philosophy—it raises a fundamental question: can traditional mid-market teams compete when the rules themselves seem to favor clubs with deeper benches and more innovative medical staffs?

Let’s get specific. Over the past three seasons, the Cubs have averaged 12.8 pitchers on their active roster, per Baseball Prospectus data, while the Dodgers have consistently pushed 13.5–14.0 through strategic use of the injured list, phantom IL stints, and now, increasingly, the two-way player workaround. That extra half-arm might not sound like much, but over a 162-game season, it translates to better bullpen management, fewer overused relievers, and a tangible edge in late-inning leverage situations. Think about last September’s series at Dodger Stadium: Chicago’s bullpen threw 42 innings over six games, with three relievers exceeding 20 pitches in an appearance. LA? They spread the load across seven arms, none over 18. The difference wasn’t talent—it was depth engineered through rule interpretation.

This isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s socio-economic. When teams like the Dodgers can optimize roster construction in ways that smaller markets can’t replicate without significant investment in sports science and player development infrastructure, it exacerbates competitive imbalance. And in a city where Wrigley Field is both a historic landmark and an economic engine—generating an estimated $600 million annually in local revenue, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning—the stakes extend beyond the scoreboard. Local businesses, from the rooftop vendors on Sheffield Avenue to the bars along Clark Street, rely on consistent fan engagement. A perception of hopeless competitiveness can dampen attendance, which in turn affects everything from concession sales to parking revenue at nearby garages like the one owned by Impark at 3400 N Clark.

Entity reinforcement here isn’t just about name-dropping; it’s about showing how systems interconnect. Take Major League Baseball’s own Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) office, which monitors payrolls but doesn’t currently regulate roster construction loopholes like the two-way player rule. Then there’s the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), whose Chicago chapter has published studies on mid-market team sustainability. And locally, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Sports Analytics program—just two hours south—has been modeling how roster flexibility correlates with win probability over time, offering data that could inform front office strategy if only the resources were there to act on it.

Given my background in urban economics and sports policy analysis, if this trend impacts you as a Cubs fan, a small business owner near Wrigley, or even a city planner thinking about the long-term vitality of the Lakeview district, here are the three types of local professionals you need to talk to:

• Sports Economists with Municipal Finance Expertise: Look for professionals who’ve worked with entities like the Chicago Sports Commission or the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. They should understand how team performance correlates with local tax revenue streams and be able to model scenarios where competitive imbalance affects neighborhood economies—not just ticket sales, but hotel occupancy, restaurant reservations, and retail sales along the Clark Street corridor.
• Data-Driven Player Development Consultants: These aren’t your traditional scouts. Seek out analysts familiar with biomechanics workload monitoring (think Motus or Valdus platforms) and who have experience optimizing pitcher usage within CBA constraints. Ideal candidates will have worked with college programs in the Substantial Ten or independent league teams and can translate MLB-level innovations into actionable plans for player development pipelines that don’t require a $200M payroll.
• Urban Planners Specializing in Sports District Economics: Find those who’ve contributed to projects like the redevelopment around Guaranteed Rate Field or consulted for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning on sports-related land use. They should be able to assess how shifts in team competitiveness affect long-term investment in mixed-use developments near stadiums, infrastructure planning for game-day traffic, and even zoning considerations for ancillary businesses that rely on steady event-driven foot traffic.

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