The Chicago Cubs lured Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers and outbid several teams in order to land him as their new manager.
As first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Counsell is getting a five-year contract from the Cubs worth over $40 million. At roughly $8 million annually, this is easily a record for the largest managerial contract ever.
According to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers were willing to offer Counsell roughly $5.5 million annually. The New York Mets were expected to be willing to go to somewhere around $7 million per year, but the Cubs blew past both of those figures.
Counsell was a major target for several teams after his contract with the Brewers expired at the end of the 2023 season. The Cubs landing him shocked many, especially since they already had a manager who they ruthlessly cast aside to bring Counsell in.
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