Some Chicago Cubs fans were doubting Craig Counsell following a disappointing 2024 season, but all you need to see is how the players speak about him to know that he deserves every penny he makes. The highest-paid manager in MLB history is now leading the 2025 Cubs to one of the best records in the National League all while reminding Milwaukee Brewers fans what they once had and have lost out on.
Counsell managed the Brewers from 2015-23, before he left town to join Milwaukee's hated division rival. During his first managerial gig Counsell built up the reputation of being a wizard handling a pitching staff, while also becoming one of the most respected managers among his peers. Players followed his lead and in quick succession the Brewers became the new powerhouse in the NL Central, winning the division three times with Counsell in the dugout.
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Craig Counsell has earned Cubs respect the hard way
Now, Counsell has commanded the full respect of his new club. The Cubs have been without Justin Steele since mid-April and Shota Imanaga hasn't pitched since May 4. The team's veteran closer was demoted a month ago and his replacement has been on the injured list for the past five weeks. No problem for Counsell as the Cubs begin play on June 19, with a 6.5 game lead over his former team.
“Couns has every one of our best interests in mind,” Pete Crow-Armstrong told The Athletic. “I trust all the decisions he makes.”
Trust goes both ways. In Crow-Armstrong's rookie season Counsell didn't sit the talented center fielder amid the young hitter's struggles at the plate. The wise manager stuck with Crow-Armstrong in the starting lineup throughout the summer and it's paying off now in 2025, as the Cubs have a bonafide star patrolling the outfield at Wrigley Field.
After removing two-time All-Star and World Series champion Ryan Pressly from the closer role in May, Counsell turned to Porter Hodge for the ninth. That didn't last long as the 24-year-old landed on the injured list with an oblique and hip issue a few weeks later. It would have been easy to shy away from Daniel Palencia as the fill-in closer after he blew his first save opportunity against the Miami Marlins on May 19, but instead Counsell gave him the ball right back a couple days later to protect a one-run lead and Palencia delivered.
Entering 2025, Palencia only showed flashes of greatness, but had a total of 43 MLB innings under his belt. Now, the 25-year-old is fulfilling his potential.
It's that type of confidence in young players that has set Counsell apart from former Cubs manager David Ross, who frustrated fans at the end of the 2023 season.
The big-market Cubs have been a scrappy team at home under the direction of Counsell. The offense has been crushing teams on the road, but with the unpredictable weather in Chicago in the spring Counsell has made sure to keep his club versatile no matter the conditions. The Cubs are No. 1 in MLB with 68 home runs on the road and No. 1 in MLB with 63 steals at home.
Craig Counsell is the same manager he was with the Brewers, now thriving with their rival
That annoying team that always found a way to win in Milwaukee under Counsell's watchful eye is now on the North Side of Chicago.
Just as Christian Yelich praised Counsell for setting the tone in Milwaukee, Counsell's current left fielder Ian Happ knows how crucial his manager's presence has been in Chicago.
"He understands what it takes from a group standpoint, how important it is for the group to jell and for guys to care about each other, "Happ said. "That’s not talked about a lot in this era of baseball, how important it is for the group to know each other and pull for each other and be able to talk through situations. The group cares about each other. They care about beating out the double-play ball to get the next guy up in an RBI situation. You care about those little things, and that’s what kind of keeps the game rolling through 162.”
Veteran Colin Rea, who pitched with the Brewers from 2021-24, and signed a free-agent deal with the Cubs this past offseason, said it best when it comes to players' feelings about Counsell,“He deserves every penny that he gets."
Counsell's money is fully guaranteed, his recognition and locker room respect is not. Now, he has both.