Another set of unfortunate news has hit the Milwaukee Brewers: their head coach shed tears as four of his star players made the decision to terminate their huge contracts.

Another set of unfortunate news has hit the Milwaukee Brewers: their head coach shed tears as four of his star players made the decision to terminate their huge contracts.

The Milwaukee Brewers have received further bad news: their head coach cried when he learned that four of their key players had decided to sever their enormous contracts.

Notably, before Craig Counsell’s contract expired on Halloween, the Cubs did not ask for permission to speak with him. Only last week did they enter the contest for his services. So, in addition to deciding who ought to be in charge, we also need to figure out why Counsell and the Crew were unable to come to an agreement on a new contract well in advance of this.
When questioned about a new manager, Mark Attanasio responded as follows, although he was obviously hurt and astonished by the ultimate choice:

Interestingly, one of the things I did this morning was to start chatting with some of our players and team leaders about what they liked about our current situation and areas for improvement, which is exactly what we’ll be searching for. I initiated those discussions, and I anticipate having more direct discussions. We have something truly wonderful. I give Craig credit for adding all these instructors who have stayed, and for helping to establish that. We will thus search for a manager who can maintain our fantastic clubhouse culture, help us win more games, and, ideally, help us overcome adversity in the postseason.

Counsell has been criticized for his playoff performance since 2018, especially for how poorly the team was led in crucial moments during the Wild Card Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Brewers intend to preserve as much as possible while hoping to overcome this “hump” with newfound vigor and drive. Maintaining a large portion of Counsell’s workforce will be essential to a seamless transition and maybe avoiding the kinds of mistakes that David Ross and Oli Marmol fell victim to.
Villanueva has been serving as the front office’s special assistant, a position Counsell held just before heading into the dugout. Having led the organization’s player development division, he has a genuine understanding of the baseball team on all fronts. His bilingualism is an asset to many managers in this multicultural game. He was recently promoted by the Brewers to a more expansive role that includes baseball operations, which may indicate that he is no longer a candidate for the managerial position and is instead being prepared for a front office role of a higher caliber.

After winning Carolina League Manager of the Year in 2023, Estevez wrapped up his eighth season managing minor league teams for the Brewers. Hiring from within (with a manager who has worked with and knows Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell, and Jackson Chourio) is a good idea, especially with the current rookie class coming through. Additionally, being multilingual is still very beneficial in today’s major leagues. A lesser minor-league manager, whose focus is more on getting players game time than on how to win each particular game, might raise some warning flags, though. It might be unfamiliar to him to efficiently manage a bullpen. Estevez is undoubtedly a dark horse candidate for the open post, and the Brewers analytical staff will undoubtedly be of great assistance in this regard.

In addition to the Guardians in October, McCullough, the first-base coach for the Dodgers, has recently been interviewed for positions with the Royals, Mets, and other teams. James Outman and Mookie Betts, among other players, have expressed their extreme admiration for him, and he has recently become a common mention in managerial conversations. There might be competition here because there are rumors that he might also fit in nicely with other open positions. He appears more than capable of handling the position, coming from a club culture that consistently wins.

Additional candidates could be the recently fired David Ross, the Brewers pitching, strategy, and catching coach Walker McKinven, the Astros’ Joe Espada, the A’s manager Mark Kotsay, the recently fired former Giants manager Gabe Kapler, the Padres skipper candidate Mike Shildt, and the recently replaced Pat Murphy.