The Milwaukee Brewers were preparing for manager Craig Counsell's eventual departure. However, the Brewers didn't expect Counsell to bounce for their NL Central divisional rival Chicago Cubs. Now, Milwaukee must go back to the drawing board when it comes to finding their next manager.

The Brewers already have a list of candidates for the vacancy. Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly is arguably the most well known of Milwaukee's targets. However, Mattingly flamed out in his stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins. While the Brewers will be hard-pressed to find a one-for-one replacement for Counsell, Mattingly might be viewed as too much of a downgrade.

Instead, the the Brewers have three distinct avenues they can go down. Each different option would send Milwaukee down a different path. But after losing Counsell in shocking fashion, the team cannot afford to miss on their next managerial hire. These are the three best candidates from their initial list.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell is being pursued by the Cleveland Guardians

Pat Murphy

Promoting your bench coach to manager isn't the most nuanced move in the world. However, rather than bringing in a vet like Mattingly, Pat Murphy would be a new voice of the Brewers while bringing some continuity along with him.

Murphy has been Milwaukee's bench coach since 2015. He has seen how the franchise ran under Craig Counsell. With the Brewers finding plenty of success, Murphy knows first hand how to succeed at the MLB level.

While he has been a had coach at the college level and an interim manager at the MLB level, Murphy has yet to hold the top job at the biggest stage. The Brewers could give him that opportunity in a natural ascension. Murphy would then continue what was good with the old and bring in some new ideas to a franchise in need of a new identity.

Joe Espada

If the Brewers look outside of their organization for their next manager, they should look for an up-and-coming coach. Jose Espada has interviewed for numerous coaching vacancies over the last few cycles. Milwaukee should consider giving Espada his first opportunity to manage a major league club.

Espada has been the Houston Astros bench coach since 2018. He has also managed in his home country of Puerto Rico during their Winter league. Furthermore, Espada was a coach of Puerto Rico's World Baseball Classic team in 2013 and 2017.

Teams around MLB have shown interest in Espada, he just hasn't been given a shot. Milwaukee should take a bet on the rest of the league's ineptitude and let Espada prove he can run a franchise.

Rickie Weeks 

Perhaps the most out-of-the-box name on the Brewers' internal candidate list was legend Rickie Weeks. But after losing Counsell to a division rival, maybe out-of-the-box is what Milwaukee needs.

Alongside losing Counsell, starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff is set to miss the entire 2024 season due to injury. Still, the Brewers just won the NL Central and have the offense to compete. They won't just lie down despite their losses.

Counsell leaving for the Cubs has to sting. Their long-time manager will be managing against them in crucial games throughout the season. Milwaukee can value loyalty above all else in their managerial search. While Weeks has never managed at any level, he spent 11 years playing in Miami. The Brewers could look for him to add to his franchise legacy as manager.