Dodgers president Friedman says Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s “bizarre” Ohtani rule complaints miss how the policy actually works.
The early 2026 MLB season has brought more than just highlights and standings—one fight in particular has become the talk of dugouts.
Why the “Ohtani Rule” became a flashpoint
Dodgers officials are pushing back hard after Cubs manager Craig Counsell criticized rules that allow Shohei Ohtani to remain in games when he transitions from pitching to batting.. The pushback is not framed as a technical dispute alone; it reads like a broader argument about fairness. process. and whether managers are even reading the situation the same way.
At the center is a policy shaped by Ohtani’s rare skill set.. Baseball moved to ensure the extra value of a two-way star didn’t disappear the moment he left the mound.. In 2019, MLB built a framework so a two-way player could stay in the game as a designated hitter after pitching.. The idea was simple: treat the player’s two roles as connected to on-field value—not automatically forcing an immediate exit from batting.
Then came additional roster considerations.. When MLB shifted to 26-player rosters in 2022 and imposed restrictions tied to pitching depth. it created another mechanism: certain designated two-way players who met specific criteria would not count against the maximum number of pitchers on the roster.. The intent was to preserve the competitive and strategic impact of two-way use rather than penalizing teams for deploying a player who can do two jobs.
Dodgers: teams had input, criticism now feels random
In response to Counsell’s comments, the Dodgers emphasized that the league did not make these decisions in a vacuum.. According to the Dodgers, teams—including the Dodgers—were contacted when MLB was considering the approach.. That matters because it challenges the logic behind raising complaints years later. long after the league decided how it would handle two-way players.
Dodgers president of Baseball Operations Farther Friedman pointed to the competitive paradox: from a “baseball industry” standpoint. the rules are designed to keep Ohtani on the field more often and make the game better for fans.. Even if the Dodgers don’t love the competitive effect. the Dodgers argue the league’s overall goal is worth supporting—especially when the player’s talent is used in its most complete form.
The Dodgers’ argument also targets a common misunderstanding: that the “Ohtani Rule” provides a structural roster advantage beyond what other teams can do.. Friedman’s position is that the policy does not let the Dodgers carry some extra bullpen piece compared with rivals.. Instead. it protects the two-way player’s ability to remain in the lineup after pitching—meaning the benefit comes from Ohtani’s schedule and skill. not from inflating roster counts.
The real advantage, Friedman says, is Ohtani’s matchup value
The deeper point in the Dodgers’ response is about where the advantage actually lives.. The criticism implies the Dodgers are exploiting a loophole to gain extra relief pitching flexibility.. The Dodgers counter that the advantage is simply Ohtani himself—specifically. that he can both pitch and hit at a high level.
Friedman explained that the team’s relief corps is not being expanded in a way unique to Los Angeles.. The only time Ohtani’s two-way role creates a special usage pattern is when he is able to pitch and then continue to contribute offensively.. In other words. the “extra” isn’t an extra reliever; it’s the ability to get more elite output from the same player across different game phases.
To the Dodgers. that’s not an unfair distortion—it’s the whole point of building a ruleset around a one-of-a-kind player.. And the historical record backs up the league’s rationale: when Ohtani is deployed as both a hitter and pitcher. fans see the kind of lineup creativity and matchup chaos that baseball rarely gets in a single roster slot.
Why the timing of Counsell’s comments matters
What makes the debate stick isn’t only the existence of the rules—it’s the timing.. When managers criticize something “years in,” it tends to feel like a fairness argument rather than a practical issue.. The Dodgers are essentially asking a blunt question: if the policy was known. discussed. and part of the process. why raise it now instead of when teams had the chance to react or build around the same strategy?
There is also an emotional reality behind the coverage.. MLB fan culture expects transparency in competitive balance discussions. and managers are often pressured to give immediate explanations when outcomes don’t go their way.. But rules are usually not retroactive in baseball’s politics; they are designed with seasons and roster logic in mind.. When a complaint surfaces late, it invites speculation about miscommunication, misunderstanding, or frustration looking for a target.
The broader lesson for MLB: clarity beats heat
This isn’t just a Dodgers-Cubs disagreement.. It’s a snapshot of a bigger trend in sports discourse: complicated rules become emotional shorthand. especially when a superstar is involved.. The “Ohtani Rule” exists because MLB tried to prevent a two-way player from being artificially constrained at the exact moment his rare skill is most valuable.. When that context gets lost in translation, fans and managers can end up arguing past each other.
And that creates a practical risk for everyone.. If executives and managers don’t align on what a rule does—and what it doesn’t—the sport’s strategic conversation becomes less about roster construction and more about blame.. In a league where competitive edges are tiny and the margins are unforgiving, even small misunderstandings can become loud storylines.
For now, the Dodgers are betting the public will see the gap between complaint and reality.. The message is clear: the advantage isn’t a hidden bonus.. It’s the player.. And if Ohtani’s value is unique enough to reshape rules in the first place. then the discussion should start with that—before it turns into a fight over the wording of a policy everyone was supposed to understand.