Managerial Market Madness

In the month of November, Craig Counsell made public his reasons for choosing the managerial role with the Chicago Cubs over the New York Mets, attributing it to his quest for fresh challenges.

As the Cubs and Mets prepared to face off on a Monday game, Counsell took the opportunity to shed more light on his choice. He painted it as a decision that was “tailor-made” for him, emphasizing that all the elements he sought in a new position were in perfect harmony with what Chicago had on the table.

The connection between Counsell and the Mets surfaced in October, primarily due to his professional ties with David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the club. The duo had a history of collaboration at the Milwaukee Brewers, where Counsell held the managerial reins from midway through the 2015 season until the curtain fell on the 2023 season. Stearns made his move to the Mets shortly after the 2023 season wrapped up.

ESPN’s Buster Olney pointed out that Counsell’s Cubs contract, pegged at $40 million spanning five years, had rewritten the rules for managerial remuneration. This amount dwarfed the contract of Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, which stands at $4.5 million over a three-year period, with an option to extend into a fourth year.

Counsell looked back on his interaction with the Mets and Stearns with a positive lens, underlining his pleasure in the process and his camaraderie with Stearns. Even though the talks didn’t culminate in a deal, Counsell voiced his sincere interest in the Mets’ vacancy.

On the other hand, SNY’s Andy Martino reported a stark contrast in the Mets’ offer to Counsell, which was significantly less than what he eventually accepted from the Cubs. Martino hinted that Mets owner Steve Cohen suspected Counsell might have capitalized on their interest to negotiate a more favorable agreement.