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MLB manager rumors began to swirl after the World Series came to an end. Many different candidates were linked to different teams. On Monday, though, the madness truly began, with Craig Counsell being right at the center of it.
Counsell began the day as a strong candidate for the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians. Counsell was also linked to a potential Milwaukee Brewers return. He's established himself as a great manager over the years and entered the offseason expected to draw interest.
He certainly drew plenty of interest, so much so that none of the above-mentioned teams were able to hire him. Instead, Counsell shocked the MLB world by taking the Chicago Cubs managerial job, a position that was held by David Ross until Monday. Chicago opted to let go of Ross in favor of Counsell, a decision that left fans perplexed.
The Cubs made Counsell MLB's highest paid manager. The deal is for five years and worth over $40 million dollars, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Counsell's hiring was just one of the dominoes to fall Monday. There are still a number of open managerial positions in the league, while other teams found their managers on Monday. Let's take a look at where everything stands following' Monday's madness.
Guardians get the day started
The Cleveland Guardians hired former MLB All-Star Stephen Vogt to be their Terry Francona managerial replacement early on Monday. Cleveland was also linked to Counsell, but they ended up going with Vogt.
Replacing an MLB manager legend like Francona was going to be a challenge for anyone, regardless of who Cleveland hired. The Guards could have opted to pursue a veteran manager but instead went for the first-time head coach in Vogt.
Vogt's likable personality and strong leadership skills should mesh well with Cleveland's young roster. The Guards feature enough talent to possibly contend, but they need to add more bats to the lineup in order to be a serious threat. Either way, Vogt's first year with the Guards will be intriguing to follow.
Following Cleveland's hiring, the New York Mets made their final decision.
Mets land ex-Yankees coach
Carlos Mendoza spent his 2023 season as the New York Yankees bench coach. He will remain in New York in 2024, but Mendoza will now be leading the Mets as their MLB manager following Buck Showalter's departure.
Mendoza didn't have much of a playing career, only spending a few years in the big leagues. He's impressed in a coaching role though which caught the Mets' attention. Coaching in New York brings a lot of pressure since it's a big market with passionate fans.
Fortunately, Mendoza has been with the Yankees for a while. He understands what it takes. The Mets are another team that could potentially contend in 2024. Leading them to the playoffs would be quite the first impression for Mendoza.
Cubs-Craig Counsell madness
As already discussed earlier, the Cubs hired Craig Counsell. The move capped off a day full of rumors and drama.
Initial reports linked Counsell to the Guardians, Mets, and Brewers. On Monday, it was revealed that Counsell's decision was made and would become available to the public at some point Monday.
After the Guardians and Mets made their hirings, most of the MLB world thought Counsell would be returning to Milwaukee. Then, however, a report came out that stated Counsell would be coaching elsewhere in 2024.
This led fans to speculate that Counsell would be headed to the San Diego Padres or Houston Astros given their managerial openings. The Los Angeles Angels were also mentioned by some. But a later report said the team Counsell would manage had not yet fired their head coach.
The madness only grew from there with New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans taking notice. The Cubs were finally announced as Craig Counsell's landing destination though, ultimately ending David Ross' time as Chicago's manager.
Vacant managerial jobs
The Angels, Padres, Brewers, and Astros are still searching for their next MLB managers.
Los Angeles has been linked to Buck Showalter. Ron Washington also emerged as a candidate Monday. The Angels need to hire a good manager who can navigate through a potential rebuild with Shohei Ohtani likely to leave in free agency.
The Padres have been connected to various different names. They lost Bob Melvin to the San Francisco Giants and are in the process of searching for their next manager.
The Brewers lost Craig Counsell Monday. Milwaukee will have a difficult time replacing him, as Counsell played an instrumental role in their success over the years.
Finally, Dusty Baker retired after the season, leaving the Astros with a vacant manager position. Houston is reportedly staying patient in their search though. The Astros feel confident that they will find the right person for the job at some point down the road.
There are still plenty of questions to answer when it comes to MLB managers. The MLB offseason has already been filled with storylines and excitement despite free agency not even having started yet.
This offseason is going to be a memorable one.
