Craig Counsell’s free agency tour ended in the most devastating manner possible for Brewers fans and personnel. Counsell made a stunning switch across the state border and will now manage the Chicago Cubs.
Counsell was heralded in Milwaukee as one of baseball’s top managers, if not the best. His foray into the open market indicated that others across the sport feel the same.
Numerous organizations courted Counsell before he settled on a $40-million deal offered by a team with an incumbent manager. The impact of a manager on a team’s record is difficult to quantify, but multiple front offices find Counsell to be an impactful piece.