Craig Counsell left the Milwaukee Brewers for valid reasons, as the front office seemed determined to shed payroll by any means necessary during his tenure. Of course, those Brewers teams were still talented, and Counsell got the most out of the squad Matt Arnold and David Stearns provided him. By leaving Milwaukee for Chicago, of all places, Counsell made plenty of enemies in the Wisconsin area. However, Counsell joined the Cubs in large part because he felt they would devote the necessary payroll to put a winning, sustainable team around him.
Just two years later, and Counsell is looking up at those same Brewers in the NL Central standings. Milwaukee remains a mid-market team at best, but despite owner Mark Attanasio's reluctancy to spend big, they actually added payroll at the MLB trade deadline. USA Today's Bob Nightengale had the latest in his Sunday column:
"The Milwaukee Brewers added about $4 million to their payroll at the trade deadline by picking up $2.2 million by sending starter Nestor Cortes to San Diego for outfielder Brandon Lockridge, while also chipping in $2 million in their acquisition for reliever Shelby Miller, which included injured starter Jordan Montgomery," Nightengale wrote.
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Why Craig Counsell should be upset with the Brewers
$4 million won't break the bank, but Attanasio proved willing to take on financial risk in the short term if it means making the Brewers a bigger threat in the crowded National League. That, seemingly, is all Counsell wanted during his lengthy tenure in Milwaukee.
Counsell hasn't commented much on his departure from the Brewers publicly. His quiet nature doesn't lend itself to taking shots through the media. He can't exactly complain, either, as the Cubs added to their payroll at the deadline as well by trading for Willi Castro and Andrew Kittredge. Counsell and Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer – who just signed an extension of his own – know this Brewers team isn't going anywhere.
“They’re a really good team," Hoyer said just a few weeks ago. “I don’t think they’re going to go away.’’
Brewers take on more payroll at the MLB trade deadline
Yeah, they aren't going anywhere. Milwaukee had an 11-game winning streak going shortly after the All-Star Break. While they've cooled off somewhat since then, what the Brewers have built – in large part thanks to Counsell's work while he managed in Milwaukee – should be sustainable for years to come. By allowing Arnold to take educated cases without mortgaging the farm, Attanasio signed off on exactly what Counsell was begging for prior to the 2024 season.
Counsell may still get the last laugh when all is said and done after the 2025 season and beyond. For now, though, his choice to leave the Brewers in the first place looks suspect at best.