Craig Counsell signs three-year extension with Milwaukee

The Brewers have seen enough out of their second year manager to lock him up through the 2020 season.

In the midst of a rebuild that has seen a complete overhaul of the 25-man roster and farm system over the past 18 months, the Milwaukee Brewers have decided that Craig Counsell is the man they want at the helm for the foreseeable future.

While his 134-165 career record does not seem rather impressive, the job that Counsell has done guiding Milwaukee through a rebuild has left fans excited for what is to come over the next few years.

Counsell was named Brewers manager in May 2015 following a 7-18 start to the season and the firing of former manager Ron Roenicke. The Brewers finished out the year with a 61-76 record under Counsell in a season that featured trades of Aramis Ramirez, Gerardo Parra, Jonathan Broxton, and of course, the blockbuster trade that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to Houston.

The 2016 season was the first full season with Counsell and GM David Stearns running the team, and it proved to be a promising one. Milwaukee finished with a 73-89 record in arguably the best division in baseball.

Counsell was especially impressive in keeping his club motivated and competitive after a trade deadline where they watched Jonathan Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress, Will Smith, and Aaron Hill leave Milwaukee for teams fighting for a spot in the postseason. After a rough stretch in August, Milwaukee finished the 2016 season with a 16-13 record in September and October.

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While Milwaukee has set themselves up for future playoff runs, 2017 will not be that year. The possibility of moving Ryan Braun is the biggest storyline heading into the off-season for the Brewers, but the top-ranked farm system in baseball gives fans plenty of hope for future Craig Counsell-led teams.