The Chicago Cubs both fired and hired two managers within a sliver of a timeframe on Monday.
The team hired Craig Counsell while simultaneously firing David Ross which meant more managerial decisions were on the way.
For the Milwaukee Brewers, post-Counsell, there reportedly is an array of candidates to fill the spot.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, current Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy, Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, Astros Bench coach Joe Espada, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker and former player Rickie Weeks all have been linked to the job.
Among those Brewers considering to replace Craig Counsell, according to sources briefed on club’s thinking: Bench coaches Pat Murphy (MIL), Don Mattingly (TOR) and Joe Espada (HOU); Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough; Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker; former Brewers 2B Rickie…
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 7, 2023
Mattingly has 12 years of experience in the manager chair so he’s the most recognizable name in the group, and being named NL Manager of the Year in 2020 with the Miami Marlins certainly doesn’t hurt his chances. Since his time as a manager, he had been a bench coach with the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023 season.
Across those seasons with the Dodgers and Marlins, Mattingly finished with a career 889-950 record.
Murphy’s case is also a strong one having served on Counsell’s staff for eight seasons as the bench coach, essentially his right-hand man. Weeks was not only drafted by the organization, but spent the the last couple seasons on the team’s player development staff since February 2022.
The firing of Ross was just as shocking and out of the blue as anything. What transpired seemingly over the last week or so left even the Brewers’ principal owner Mark Attanasio in shock.
“When he first told me, I said, ‘Are you messing with me?’” Attanasio told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg. “We have a really good thing. I give Craig credit for helping to build that, and for adding all these coaches, all of whom have stayed. So we’re going to look for a manager who can continue having a terrific clubhouse culture and that can help us keep winning and hopefully get over the hump in the playoffs.”
Ross is reportedly getting interest in being the San Diego Padres’ next manager.
What a crazy offseason in the skipper world.
