Despite he’s leaving Milwaukee Brewers today ‘Disappointment will be on Craig Counsell
The Milwaukee Brewers allowed manager Craig Counsell to test the market, and now one of their biggest rivals will benefit.
The Chicago Cubs hired Counsell as their next manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The team confirmed the news and announced the firing of David Ross in a statement Monday.
Counsell, a free agent, was exploring other managerial opportunities, and it was assumed that he would choose between the Brewers and the New York Mets.
The Mets, however, announced New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their next manager on Monday, paving the way for Counsell to return to Milwaukee.
But that’s not exactly what happened. With the Mets out of the picture, reports emerged that Counsell would join a team that currently has a manager under contract for the 2024 season.
There was some thought that would be the Yankees, who announced that a surprise news conference would be held Tuesday.
Instead, Counsell opted for the Cubs.
He should know the team well, as the Brewers and Cubs have squared off many times since Counsell was named the Brewers’ manager ahead of the 2015 season.
He has experienced plenty of success in the role.
Counsell had a 707-625 record with the Brewers and led the team to five postseason appearances in nine years.
Milwaukee nearly reached the World Series in 2018 but fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in seven games.
It took quite a bit for the Cubs to lure Counsell to Chicago.
He will reportedly receive the highest average salary of any manager in MLB history, per Jon Heyman, signing a five-year deal worth more than $40 million.
