Dodgers fire back at Cubs manager Craig Counsell over criticism of ‘bizarre’ Shohei Ohtani rule

One of the most unexpected storylines early in the 2026 Major League Baseball season has been opposing managers’ complaints about Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

You may recall that Ohtani started his career with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. While with the Angels, he was a two-way player who both pitched and hit. Seeking to ensure that the additional value of a two-way player, especially the most marketable and talented two-way player, is properly recognized, the league enacted a rule ensuring that any two-way player may remain in the game as a designated hitter after exiting as a pitcher.

Essentially, treating this player as two separate entities. Using Ohtani as an example, Ohtani the hitter and Ohtani the pitcher. This rule was implemented in 2019 to create a template for him or other emerging two-way players.

Then, in 2022, when MLB moved to 26 players and enacted roster restrictions of 13 pitchers and 13 batters to preserve the importance of starting pitching, they created another rule that meant designated two-way players who met certain criteria would not count towards the maximum number of pitchers allowed on the roster. This again came into effect while Ohtani was with the Angels.

For some reason, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell decided to criticize these old rules in April 2026. And in a new interview, one of the Dodgers’ top brass addressed Counsell’s comments and didn’t seem too pleased with them.

Dodgers say all teams have been contacted regarding ‘Ohtani Rule’

In a new interview with AM 570, the Dodgers’ main radio station in Los Angeles, broadcaster David Vassegh asked the team’s president of Baseball Operations about Counsell’s comments. Specifically, why did he think Counsell was bringing this up now, years into the process? In response, he said that the rule was discussed with input from the teams themselves, making the criticism even more strange.

“I don’t know,” Friedman said. “It seemed very coincidental and odd to me that he felt the need to bring this up. While Shohei was with the Angels and MLB was thinking about this, they reached out to a bunch of teams, including us. So I said, ‘Look, I don’t like it from a competitive standpoint as the Dodgers, but I’m putting on my industry hat and the best thing for Major League Baseball is to do everything we can to keep Shohei Ohtani in the game and stay in the game.'”

“So that’s part of how he was able to stay in the game when he pitched. When he came off the mound, the old rule was, then the hitter had to come out, too. But I was able to look at what was best for the industry and for Shohei to play; playing more often and staying in games is what’s best for this game, the fans and everything else.”

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

If teams were contacted about this rule and the league evaluated their feedback and implemented it, why are they complaining now? It’s unclear, but one of the biggest problems seems to be a complete misunderstanding of what the rule actually is and the advantage the Dodgers have. For example, Jim Bowden, himself a former general manager and current baseball commentator, apparently got this all wrong.

“So he was with the Angels, and under the 13 pitcher rule, we still have 13 pitchers… I had to clarify that with Jim Bowden, and he said we have nine relievers… We don’t have nine relievers, we have eight relievers like everyone else, we have five starters like everyone else,” Friedman explained. “When it’s possible and the rest makes sense, Shohei also shoots. That doesn’t mean we have any extra comfort over others.

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“So it’s definitely an advantage, but it should be an advantage. What Shohei does and what he can do is so unique that 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 are in that process or what Counsell thinks about it, but it seems like a better time than now to bring that up.”

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the World Series on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

That’s what made Counsell’s comments and the fan outrage that followed so strange. Ohtani’s unique asset is his ability to shoot and shoot at a high level. This benefit will be available regardless of staffing limitations or restrictions. They can’t carry an “extra” reliever because of Ohtani. They benefit when they make their scheduled start once a week. And again, that advantage will be present regardless, as no other team has a starter who can have a 50/50 season and put up a 0.38 ERA in the first month of the year. That’s why he got $700 million, and he totally deserved it. The Cubs have a lot of money; they could have signed it and benefited from this rule. Or find a two-way player who will improve. They didn’t, and they’re angry about it now, years after the rule was enacted and benefited the Angels. Strange.