Cubs ace Justin Steele makes feelings known about manager Craig Counsell

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele recently opened up about working with manager Craig Counsell and why he is the right man for the team. The 29-year-old ace was diagnosed with elbow tendinitis at the end of last season and is currently working on getting back to full fitness ahead of Spring Training.

Making an appearance on the Locked On Cubs podcast, Steele shared his observations on Counsell over the past two years.

"Pitching against that ball club when he was on the other side of Milwaukee, it was always a tough battle," he said. "Just seemed like he had a really good leadership group over there, doing what he was doing.

"I mean, it was a surprise. I remember being here in Mesa at our facility and the strength coach gets an email. He tells me and we're both sitting there in shock a little bit, and 5 minutes later, it was on the TV.

"Kind of weird to think back to that moment but it's been great having him. You can immediately see why he is respected and renowned as a manager. Just the way he goes about his business, he's prepared for every single situation that comes about in a baseball game. So yeah, it's been awesome." [3:02 - 4:35]

Craig Counsell is a former MLB infielder who started his managerial career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 before joining the Chicago Cubs ahead of last season. The Cubs finished 3rd in the NL Central with a .512 win percentage record in his first season in charge.

Justin Steele is a young pitcher who had his breakout year in 2023. He started last season as the first starter but missed parts of the season due to injury.

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Justin Steele confirms that the Cubs have not reached out for an extension

Chicago Cubs and Justin Steele avoided arbitration this year by agreeing on a one-year, $6.55 million contract for 2025. The homegrown star, who is currently under affordable team control through 2027, recently said that no extension talks were involved while agreeing on the arbitration amount.

"I mean, no. Me, personally, I haven’t had any discussions or conversations as far as that stuff goes," Steele said (via Bleacher Nation). "It’s something that hasn’t been brought to me from the team or anything. But, I mean, if it’s something that was brought to me, in front of me, I would sit down, look at it obviously and take it into serious consideration and decide what made sense for me and my family at that point. But to answer your question, no, nothing’s been brought to me."

Looking at Steele's career trajectory so far, it would make sense for the Cubs to extend the lefty for his peak years, especially with the MLB market hitting new heights. The Chicago front office would most likely be considering such an extension in the near future.