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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As quickly as experiences of Craig Counsell’s shock vacation spot circulated on-line, one Nationwide League govt, unprompted, texted a reporter two exploding head emojis together with three letters: WTF. When requested to elaborate, the manager defined, “It’s lots to digest. I’m not certain what’s extra surprising — the place he landed or how a lot he received.”
Counsell grew to become the highest-paid supervisor in baseball on Monday, when phrase emerged that he’d be the following Cubs skipper. This was significantly notable as a result of the membership already employed a supervisor in David Ross. Now Ross is out of a job and Counsell has a brand new five-year, $40 million deal, the tip results of an surprising growth that despatched shockwaves all through the business.
Virtually nobody knew about Chicago’s secret courting of Counsell, who had been linked to a number of groups with managerial vacancies. The Athletic spoke to just about a dozen individuals across the sport, granting anonymity as wanted in order that staff of different organizations might converse freely, with a view to survey the ripple impact that Counsell’s determination may need on managerial jobs and baseball as an entire.
“About time managers receives a commission what they’re value,” one present big-league supervisor mentioned. “(Having) no coaches union has damage this a part of our sport for years. Hate it for Rossy, however love what Craig did for the business.”
A former supervisor informed The Athletic that he had as soon as been in the identical place as Counsell: supplied a job that was at the moment occupied by another person. He declined it as a result of “it simply felt unsuitable” and wonders why the “brotherhood” of managing appears to have passed by the wayside. This former supervisor mentioned he’s a fan of Counsell, although he doesn’t know him properly, however identified that the brand new Cubs skipper hasn’t gained a World Collection and thought the hysteria and bidding battle surrounding him was a bit a lot.
“(Bruce) Bochy? Now if it was Bochy I’d perceive,” he mentioned of the reigning World Collection champion Texas Rangers supervisor.
When The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Counsell would handle in 2024, however it might be for a workforce with no identified opening, the Rangers have been a typical guess within the business as his touchdown spot, with the idea that Bochy was retiring and that Counsell was his substitute. Then the remainder of the story got here tumbling out: Per Rosenthal, Counsell was headed to the North Aspect.
“I used to be slightly like ‘whoa.’ Not stunned as a result of there’s been managers which have made that a lot. However nonetheless, the way in which it occurred,” mentioned Astros common supervisor Dana Brown, who had curiosity in Counsell for the Astros’ open place attributable to Dusty Baker’s retirement. “It was fast. Type of out of nowhere. However I’m glad for him. He’s been a lifer within the sport and he’s carried out some great issues.”
Stated one other former skipper: “Craig Counsell is an elite supervisor. Have a look at his report in one-run video games. Have a look at his report in comparison with projections 12 months after 12 months. He deserves to be paid.”
Some within the sport imagine Counsell’s deal will assist drive up salaries for different skippers sooner or later: “a much bigger piece of the pie,” as one agent put it.
“The reality is, nobody will ever understand their most worth till or until you’re keen to be a free agent,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “That’s simply the very fact of the matter. Counsell was keen to do this. Gamers do it yearly. It shouldn’t be checked out as taboo for a supervisor to train his proper to turn out to be a free agent. I feel the business has kind of frowned upon that and I give Counsell quite a lot of credit score and respect for speaking by it together with his household and being keen to do this.”
Others have been skeptical that it might make any significant change.
“Have a look at what the Mets simply paid (Carlos) Mendoza,” mentioned an American League exec of the Mets new skipper, who’s making $4.5 million whole for 3 years, a lot lower than Counsell. And, even when it’s finally a superb factor for supervisor salaries, some questioned the ethics of the Cubs ready to dismiss Ross till Counsell had agreed to take the job.
“The rationale supervisor and coaches’ salaries don’t transfer a lot is as a result of somebody is all the time keen to take your job,” a present member of a major-league teaching employees mentioned. “If I had fought for one more 40K or one other 12 months they wouldn’t have renewed me as a coach. I don’t understand how a lot entrance places of work actually worth (the contributions). I don’t suppose Counsell adjustments that a lot as a result of take a look at what the Mets simply did.
“I feel the one time it might actually change is that if individuals actually roll the cube and say, ‘I feel I’m value greater than that,’ and take the chance. However there’s all the time somebody keen to take your job. We actually must unionize, however take a look at how lengthy it took the minor-league gamers to type a union. It’s nonetheless a tradition of ‘be glad you have got a job.’”
It’s the “managerial Starvation Video games,” a former supervisor joked earlier than declaring some historical past. The scheme from Cubs president Jed Hoyer took a web page from former govt Theo Epstein, who employed Joe Maddon to take Rick Renteria’s place after the 2014 season. (Renteria’s contract was terminated per week after Maddon opted out of his take care of the Tampa Bay Rays.)
“It’s of their playbook,” mentioned a former supervisor. “I’m glad Counsell got here out and mentioned the bar must be set larger for supervisor wage, however I’m undecided I’d have taken a job the place there was a supervisor already in place.”
Are the optics actually that unhealthy? Hoyer informed reporters on the GM conferences his job is to win as many video games as doable “within the quick time period and long run” and there was “nothing about this transfer” to get Counsell that didn’t meet that standards.
In that vein, Ross was only a casualty in an business usually mercilessly looking for an edge.
“In the event you take away the emotional facet of it and take a look at it from a pure enterprise standpoint, it occurs in each firm,” mentioned one other present supervisor, who thinks Counsell’s deal will likely be good for the opposite 29 groups. “Baseball is leisure, however it’s a enterprise and these transitions happen incessantly (in enterprise). In our business, it’s checked out as taboo.”
The identical supervisor believes that the Cubs have been finally doing Ross a disservice by publicly saying he was their man — after which privately attempting to improve.
“If I’m in a company that doesn’t worth me I don’t wish to be there,” the supervisor mentioned. “To me, the intimacy of these relationships (between a entrance workplace and supervisor) are what we’re on the lookout for. My bosses present that in making me really feel valued and grateful for the work I’m placing in.”
Even Counsell’s former boss was stunned.
“I didn’t see that coming,” mentioned Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who was with Counsell in Milwaukee. “Craig can play issues fairly near the vest. On this case, clearly he performed it very near the vest, as a result of none of us had any concept of the place this was headed.”
(Prime picture of Craig Counsell as Brewers supervisor: Patrick McDermott / Getty Photographs)
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