Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, 53, has become the most expensive manager to leave the organization for a rival team.
The Chicago Cubs of the National League Central announced on Sunday that they have fired manager David Ross and hired Counsell in his place.
The terms of the contract are staggering. The five-year, $40 million contract is worth a total of $519 million. With an average annualized salary of $8 million, it is the highest of any major league manager in history. Counsell will officially take over next week.굿모닝토토 도메인
“We have made the difficult decision to part ways with Ross after his many years of service to our team as a player and leader,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said in an official statement. “On behalf of the Cubs organization, I want to thank David for his contributions to our club on and off the field. First as a player and then as a manager, he has demonstrated his leadership abilities time and time again.”
Counsell has led Milwaukee to nine successful seasons since taking over the reins in 2015. Through this year, he has a 707-605 record and a .539 winning percentage. The Brewers, a small-market team with a perennial underdog image, have won three district titles and reached the postseason five times during Counsell’s tenure.
This year, Milwaukee finished first in the National League Central, ahead of the Cubs. However, they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Series, ending their fall baseball run early.
Counsell, whose contract with Milwaukee expired at the end of the season, recently interviewed for managerial jobs with the New York Mets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
But his final destination was the Cubs, which comes as a shock, especially since the Cubs are a National League Central rival with Milwaukee.
According to sources, the Cubs reached out to Counsell as soon as he was out of contract with Milwaukee on November 1, which was October 31 of this year. They negotiated quietly but quickly and eventually landed Counsell.
The fired Ross had led the Cubs for the past four seasons, compiling a 262-284 record (.480 winning percentage). While the overall record was less than stellar, the Cubs won the National League Central in 2020, a season that was shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This season was no different until the final stretch. However, they lost 15 of their final 22 games and ultimately failed to qualify for fall ball and were relieved of their duties.