The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs rivalry is going to have a strange look next year as Craig Counsell is the new manager in the Windy City.
It’s possible that the Cubs ability to lure him away from the Brewers and their willingness to make him the highest paid manager could translate into some free agents desiring to sign with them.
One theory being discussed right now is Craig Counsell and reliever Josh Hader being reunited.
Josh Hader, who was traded when Craig Counsell was managing the Brewers in 2022, is currently a free agent.
This is his first time hitting the open market and there is a good chance that he will receive a record setting contract.
Edwin Diaz currently has the largest contract for a reliever at five years, $102 MM.
When free agency first kicked off a few weeks ago the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies were two teams linked to Josh Hader.
Chicago’s name is now being thrown into the mix because of Craig Counsell’s connection to Josh Hader.
Jon Morosi recently dove into this possibility by discussing it on MLB Network.
Should Craig Counsell and Josh Hader reunite in Chicago it would be a big win for the Cubs and another blow for the Brewers because it would be another example of how Milwaukee operating on a small budget comes back to bite them.
Branching off of that, Josh Hader signing with the Cubs may also improve Chicago’s chances of signing Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
If Craig Counsell gets a few of these weapons then the Cubs may become favorites to win the division title.
