Craig Counsell, Brewers 'have had conversations' on future

As manager Craig Counsell enters the final year of his contract with the Brewers, he’s revealed to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he and owner Mark Attanasio “have had conversations” about his future with the team.

“I’m in a great place. I love doing what I’m doing. The ‘why’ is still intact – like, why I originally wanted to do this. It’s still front and center for me, and why I love the job. I’m happy. Mark [Attanasio] and I have had conversations and I’m sure those will continue. And meanwhile, I’ve got my feet in 2023 and I’m ready to go,” Counsell said.

Counsell took over as Brewers manager in 2015, replacing Ron Roenicke midway through that season. Since then, he’s gone on to become Milwaukee’s winningest manager, amassing a 615-555 record. During that time, they’ve generally been competitive in the NL Central, winning the division twice and going to the playoffs in four straight seasons between 2018-21, including going within one game of a first World Series appearance since 1982 before falling 4-3 to the Dodgers in the 2018 NLCS.

For a team that’s typically worked with smaller-than-average payrolls, that record is no easy feat, and the Brewers look well-positioned to compete for a playoff spot again in 2023.

After rounding out his playing career with five seasons at the Brewers, Counsell, 52, immediately began working with the team in a front-office position as a special assistant to then-general manager Doug Melvin in 2012, before being given the managerial title three years later.