FILE - Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell looks on before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Chicago. Counsell is meeting with the Cleveland Guardians about their managerial opening, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Quinn Harris, File)
Will Craig Counsell return as the Milwaukee Brewers manager? What we know.
The Milwaukee Brewers season has come to a close and with that comes national speculation about the future of manager Craig Counsell.
The Brewers completed their fifth playoff appearance in six years with another early-round exit Wednesday, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a two-game sweep in the National League wild-card series at American Family Field.
Each of those playoff runs has come with Counsell, the second-longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball, at the helm.
Counsell could also step away from his position, take some time off and spend it with his family. He could also take on a front office or advisory role with the brewery that keeps him involved but also requires less time commitment than managing.
There is also the possibility of going to another team, though the likelihood of that is unclear.
A Whitefish Bay native who played six years for the Brewers, Counsell served in a variety of front-office roles as a special assistant to former general manager Doug Melvin until he was named to replace the fired Ron Roenicke as manager on May 4, 2015. Since then, he has won more than 700 games and become the winningest manager in Brewers history.
His future status with the Brewers is now in question, though.
Without a decision in hand from Counsell yet, as the off-season begins for Milwaukee, here is what we know.
It’s as unclear as it gets.
The choice lies in Counsell’s hands completely, and people within the Brewers don’t even seem to have a strong inkling one way or the other.
Counsell, 53, is in the final year of his contract and is a free agent at season’s end. He has managed the Brewers since 2015 and most recently signed a three-year extension in 2020 that pushed him through the end of 2023 with Milwaukee.
Counsell could also step away from his position, take some time off and spend it with his family. He could also take on a front office or advisory role with the brewery that keeps him involved but also requires less time commitment than managing.
There is also the possibility of going to another team, though the likelihood of that is unclear.
