The Milwaukee Brewers have won nine straight games, pushing the rival Chicago Cubs to the brink. Much of that has come thanks to hodgepodge starting rotation led by rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who made the NL All-Star team after just five appearances. What makes the Cubs-Brewers storyline so juicy is, of course, Chicago manager Craig Counsell, who left Milwaukee in a cloud of dust to sign a record contract with their biggest rival. Counsell is still hated in Wisconsin, where he calls home, though it can be argued the Brewers found the best-possible replacement for him in Pat Murphy. As we round the corner to July's trade deadline, at least one person in the Cubs organization will acknowledge how good this Brewers team is.
“They’re a really good team," Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, told reporters Friday. “I don’t think they’re going to go away.’’
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Why the Milwaukee Brewers aren't going away
The Brewers likely aren't. Milwaukee seemingly has an army of starting pitchers in their minor-league system. When one player gets hurt, another rises up in his place. While Milwaukee, like most teams, must make improvements at the trade deadline to emerge as a serious competitor, they are set up perfectly to make a run at the NL Central crown in August and September.
The Cubs profile is a simple one. They have one of the best lineups in the National League, but could really use some help in the starting rotation. That is why Hoyer made some early calls for the likes of Sandy Alcantara and Mitch Keller, per various reports. A bullpen arm and third base upgrade is also of interest for Chicago, if they can swing it.
Milwaukee has less of a concern. The Brewers could also use a third baseman, such a Eugenio Suarez, who could be the crown jewel of the deadline. Power bats are in short supply and Milwaukee is lacking pop, especially without Rhys Hoskins.
What losing the NL Central to the Brewers would mean for Craig Counsell
When Counsell left Milwaukee for Chicago, he had to have known this would happen eventually. Counsell wanted to join a team with more financial flexibility, and he found that with the Cubs. That being said, money can't buy the type of player development that has kept the Brewers more competitive than any other mid-market team for so many years.
Losing the Central to the Brewers this one season would be a little more than an isolated incident. The Cubs spent big this past winter, adding Kyle Tucker to the lineup. They've taken big swings in free agency as well. If Counsell, with all of these resources, cannot defeat his former team, it's a bad look. Some might say they're even better off without him – though I would not go as far.
The Cubs and Brewers play next at the end of July, and have several more matchups in August. Those series should decide whether Counsell can remain silent.