Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has told beloved manager Craig Counsell he’s willing to give him a multiyear deal or a one-year deal, or possibly even time off with the promise to return. That’s how respected Counsell is.
Counsell, who declined to extend his contract in spring and is a free agent, will have other managing options if he’s interested. (I’ve heard of two teams with interest.) But time off could actually be a real option, as Counsell may decide he wants to more closely follow his four kids. (Counsell’s two baseball-playing sons will be at the universities of Michigan and Minnesota, and two athletic daughters remain in high school in Whitefish Bay, Wis., where he starred while his father was a Brewers executive).
The delay isn’t over money, as Counsell, the longest tenured NL manager, makes $3.5M this year, and the small-market Brewers are generous with top decisionmakers. But he also knows that there’s no need to rush.
Milwaukee has spent reasonably well (and usually wisely), but there was upset throughout the team last summer when the first-place team traded star closer Josh Hader, which precipitated clubhouse depression, a slump and a missed playoff spot by one game. (The trade may turn out OK in the long run, as they used Esteury Ruiz to acquire starting catcher William Contreras, and also received useful reliever Joel Payamps and pitching prospect Robert Gasser, but it caused upset to the point Attanasio told insiders he would become more involved.)
There’s no sense that controversial trade factored into Counsell’s decision to delay his decision, which may be mostly about family/lifestyle. Counsell, a two-time World Series champion as a player (2001 Diamondbacks, 2003 Marlins), has guided his hometown Brewers to the sixth most wins since 2018 despite the financial limitations. It’s easy to see why he can write his own ticket.