Craig Counsell didn’t want the Mets.
Despite ties linking Counsell to the Mets’ then-vacant managerial opening due to his relationship with David Stearns, Counsell did not have his eyes on the job opening in Flushing, according to Sports Illustrated.
Counsell chose the Cubs, while the Mets opted for former Yankees bench coach and first-time manager Carlos Mendoza to be their 24th manager.
“Over the last few days people were still writing that it looked like it was Counsell’s job,” a source who spoke to Counsell recently told SI.
“That wasn’t the case. He was all but out over the past few days. New York was not at the top of his list.”
The Mets and Counsell seemed like a potential match for many reasons, but the deck was stacked against New York from signing one of the game’s premier managers.
Counsell reportedly had two goals while he pursued his next job upon reaching free agency: Reset the managerial pay scale and staying close to the midwest.
The Mets had the financial capabilities to match any offer from any team, but the Mets offered him significantly less than the historic five-year, $40 million he received from the Cubs.
New York is also not in the midwest.
Counsell grew up and lives in Wisconsin, and has two daughters in high school in the state and two sons playing college baseball at Minnesota and Michigan, respectively, per SI.
“If he ever managed anywhere else (than Milwaukee), the Cubs have always been his dream job,” a source told Sports Illustrated.
While the Cubs operated in silence, the Mets’ intentions were no secret.
Stearns, the Mets’ new top executive, had a relationship with Counsell from their seven years together, although he did not hire him.
The Mets talked to the Brewers before Counsell’s contract expired, and the familiarity with Stearns and Steve Cohen’s deep wallets made them a perceived formidable contender.
But Counsell didn’t view it that way.
Counsell and the analytically minded Stearns are “not particularly close” according to Sports Illustrated, with Milwaukee’s preference for analytics-based in-game decisions a factor.
The 53-year-old manager also had reservations about the short-term chances for the Mets — who are seemingly one season away from returning to contention.
While Chicago missed the postseason, they are viewed as a team ready to return to contention.
The Mets’ intentions for 2024 will be revealed during free agency, although a 2025 or 2026 timeline fits in with what the team told Max Scherzer during this past trade deadline.
One source told Sports Illustrated: “(Counsell) was all but out over the past few days. New York was not at the top of his list.”
Counsell will face the Mets as the Cubs’ manager for the first time on April 29 when Chicago comes to Flushing for a four-game set.
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