Brewers GM Matt Arnold says there's no timetable regarding Craig Counsell's contract status
Those hoping for a quick resolution to Craig Counsell's future as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers are instead going to have to continue waiting.
"We're not going to put any timetable on Craig," general manager Matt Arnold said Tuesday at his end-of-season news conference at American Family Field. "We're in regular communication with him and I'm excited about having those conversations with him and looking forward to, hopefully, having some news for you guys soon if possible.
"Either way, we're going to be prepared to have a manager next year if it's not Craig. But I want to keep every line open for communication with Craig as much as we can because he's our top choice here, for sure."
The status of Counsell, 53, has been a hot topic all season but even more so now with the Brewers having been eliminated from the postseason and the three-year contract extension he signed in January of 2020 expiring at the end of the month.
The New York Mets have a managerial opening after the firing of Buck Showalter and former Brewers head of baseball operations David Stearns was just hired to take over that franchise, leading to all sorts of speculation that a reunion between Counsell and his old boss could be in the offing.
Brewers team principal owner Mark Attansio has said twice since August that he and Counsell had agreed to table any discussions about the future until after the season had concluded.
Counsell, who addressed the matter several times between spring training and the end of the season, was in no mood to discuss his future in the minutes following his team's ouster from the playoffs last Wednesday.
"That ain't for tonight, man," he said.
Arnold was asked if Counsell's situation might become unsettling if it isn't resolved in a relatively timely manner.
"No," he said. "I want to respect Craig and I want to respect the time that he put into this franchise and the opportunity that he has in front of him. We have a really good relationship, and so I think it's first and foremost what's best for him and his family.
"But I'm excited to (potentially) partner with him (again). I've loved working with him for many years and I hope he's here a long time."
Counsell is the longest-tenured manager in the National League and second-longest in the majors behind only Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash.
He is the franchise's winningest manager with a record of 707 victories and 625 losses, and has also managed the most games in Brewers history (1,332).
Counsell, who also played six of his 16 seasons for the Brewers, is the 19th manager in club history. He replaced Ron Roenicke on May 4, 2015.
"He’s maybe one of the best people I’ve ever worked with," Arnold said. "I really, really enjoy working with him. He challenges us in great ways. We see the world differently. I think it’s healthy. I think he means a lot to this community. He’s been a player here. His dad worked here. He’s grown up here.
"He’s special. He is definitely special to this team. And like I said, I hope we partner here together for a long time.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: No timetable for Craig Counsell negotiations, GM Matt Arnold says
