It’s extremely difficult to accept, but he must resign from the contracts because of his wife’s harsh comment against the New York Yankees head coach.

It’s extremely difficult to accept, but he must resign from the contracts because of his wife’s harsh comment against the New York Yankees head coach.

Scottdale, Arizona If there was ever any doubt about Craig Counsell’s strategic acumen, it is over. Counsell recently secured a new contract that will pay him nearly twice as much as any other manager in the league, including four-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy.

Furthermore, Counsell attends a historic franchise that is accessible by car from his suburban Milwaukee home—that is, if one can put up with the Edens Expressway. The Cubs, who are despised by his neighbors in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and pretty much everyone else in the 414 area code, are the only true drawback.

I had previously stated that Counsell had to be hired by the Mets to manage them. For that portion of Monday’s bizarre managerial equation, though, I give them a passing grade today (though not on everything, as you’ll see below).

Even I, a founding member of the Craig Counsell fan club, question whether they overpaid for Counsell’s deal because it takes him in a direction no manager has ever gone before. It’s quite an accomplishment to outbid the rumored 18-time (at least) billionaire Steve Cohen, especially considering that they were completely unseen in the competition. However, not everyone believes it’s worthy of a franchise brag.

The next manager of the Mets will be Carlos Mendoza, bench coach for the Yankees.
3.
The Mets will be managed by Carlos Mendoza, the bench coach for the Yankees.
Kostroun Bill/New York Post
One rival executive referred to Counsell’s $40 million, five-year Cubs contract as “insane.” The market was completely destroyed, and all for a guy who never won anything.

I’ll wait until at least Day 2 to judge their sanity, but I will say this for Counsell. The man made the first day of the general managers’ meetings here into a news fest. In response, two of Counsell’s Final Four teams made intriguing second-round hires: the Mets brought in Carlos Mendoza, the previously unremarkable bench coach for the Yankees, from across town, and the Guardians signed popular but lightly tested former clubhouse cutup Steven Vogt.

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Carlos Mendoza and the Mets David Stearns
The Mets need to give Carlos Mendoza an opportunity to replace Craig Counsell.
Mendoza was the unexpected belle of the managerial ball, surpassing even Counsell, who was in a class of his own and attracted calls from the Giants, Astros, and Angels in addition to his final four teams of the Mets, Guardians, Cubs, and of course, hometown Brewers. At least three teams were interested in him, including the Padres and Guardians, and he was well-received on the day of hiring.

As one rival general manager put it, “I think Carlos Mendoza is going to be a really good manager.”

That person is in the vast majority, which is encouraging to some extent, but the Mets have someone who clearly does very well in interviews but is still very much an unknown. I think you should win the wars you can win with a $18 billion war chest, not pile more doubt on their already large amount of doubts.

Although Mendoza could be a great addition, the Mets are a team that can afford to pay him without suffering any regrets. Let’s face it, he was the bench coach for a team that, in general manager Brian Cashman’s words, had a “disaster” of a season and didn’t exactly maximize its $275 million payroll.