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Mariners Looking To Add High-Contact Hitters

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Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto was among a number of executives to speak with reporters at the GM Meetings on Tuesday. He addressed a few of the club’s offseason goals — most notably, a desire to improve the offense’s bat-to-ball skills.

“Adding some contact to our lineup,” Dipoto replied when asked by Jon Morosi of MLB.com about the club’s biggest need. He added that an additional right-handed bat would be preferable, saying the front office was excited about its group of young lefty hitters.

That desire to improve the contact rate tied into Seattle’s somewhat surprising decision not to issue a qualifying offer to Teoscar Hernández. “We wanted to make sure we can address some of the flaws that exist in our team,” Dipoto told reporters (link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). “Despite the fact he didn’t have a great start to his season, he put up his numbers and he contributed down the stretch as much as any player we had. But we felt like this was an opportunity to kind of take a new look at the way our team is built. If there was a reason why we were sitting home in the postseason, we felt like it was probably the inability to consistently make contact.”

Seattle hitters indeed struggled with swing-and-miss. Only the Twins struck out more often, while the M’s finished 22nd with a .242 batting average. They were 15th in on-base percentage and 16th in slugging. Hernández finished second on the team with 211 strikeouts, although that shouldn’t be especially surprising. He has always been a power-first player who compensates for a middling plate discipline profile with extra-base impact.

It seems the Mariners are planning a conscious shift away from that style. The departure of Hernández leaves a hole in the corner outfield. Speculatively speaking, Hernández’s former Toronto teammate Lourdes Gurriel Jr. could fit the mold that Seattle is targeting. While Gurriel also has an aggressive offensive approach, he’s a right-handed bat who has strong pure contact skills and 20+ homer pop.

Gurriel is a left fielder only, so a hypothetical pursuit would likely push Jarred Kelenic to right field. KBO star Jung Hoo Lee hits from the left side but brings a hit-first approach and could profile in right field. Alex Verdugo and Max Kepler are among the outfielders who may be available in trade. Second base, which stands out as another area the M’s could try to upgrade, has a few hit-over-power possibilities. Whit Merrifield, Amed Rosario and Tim Anderson are all free agents who hit from the right side, although none is coming off a great finish to the 2023 season.

Seattle’s team leader in strikeouts was third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who fanned at a 30.8% clip. Suárez has led the American League in total strikeouts in consecutive seasons. He hit .232/.323/.391 in 2023 overall, roughly league average offense when accounting for Seattle’s pitcher-friendly home park.

While Dipoto didn’t mention Suárez, it doesn’t seem out of the question the Mariners shop him before the final guaranteed season of his contract. To that end, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported this evening that the Blue Jays are eyeing Suárez as a potential third base option if they lose Matt Chapman in free agency. Were Seattle to move Suárez, they’d likely need to backfill via trade or free agency. Jeimer Candelario is the top alternative to Chapman on the open market.

In other news, Dipoto confirmed the team continues to have interest in re-signing Tom Murphy (via Divish). The longtime #2 catcher hit free agency, leaving Seattle with just minor league trade pickup Blake Hunt on the 40-man roster behind Cal Raleigh. The M’s are very likely to bring in a veteran catcher this winter. Murphy, who hit .290/.335/.538 in 47 games before a season-ending thumb fracture, has a shot at a two-year pact.

Astros Have Interviewed Joe Espada In Managerial Search

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Astros bench coach Joe Espada has received an interview in the club’s managerial search, GM Dana Brown confirmed this afternoon (link via Chandler Rome of the Athletic). That’s no surprise considering he has been viewed by many as the logical choice to replace Dusty Baker atop the Houston dugout.

Espada has never managed in the big leagues but has gotten serious attention from a number of teams. He was reportedly one of the finalists in the Marlins search last offseason and has interviewed for several jobs over the years. This morning, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal listed Espada among the potential targets for the Brewers as they set out in search of Craig Counsell’s replacement.

Curiously, Brown told reporters today that the Astros would not grant permission for Espada to interview with Milwaukee until Houston had made its own decision. However, Rome reports that Espada’s contract with the Astros expired on October 31 — thereby negating Houston’s ability to block him from speaking with other teams.

That the Astros have considered trying to prevent Espada from interviewing elsewhere at least seems to suggest he’s a legitimate candidate for the Houston job. Brown pushed back against characterizing the 48-year-old (or anyone else) as the favorite but confirmed Espada was the only in-house person under consideration. That rules out first base coach Omar López, who had been floated as a potential option in the immediate aftermath of Baker’s retirement. Brown added that another team’s bench coach without MLB managerial experience (whom he did not name) is among the other candidates.

Espada has spent the past six seasons as Houston bench coach, holding the position under both A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker. Before that, he’d logged three seasons on the Yankees staff. Espada has managed for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic but has no experience doing so in the affiliated ranks.

Twins Planning To Reduce Payroll

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The Twins anticipate scaling back player payroll this offseason, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters at the GM Meetings (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). The Twins opened the 2023 season with an estimated $154MM figure, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts — about $20MM north of the previous organizational high.

“We’ve pushed our payroll to heights that we had never pushed it before with the support, certainly, of ownership,” Falvey said Tuesday. “We know there is some natural ebb and flow to that. Will it be where it was last year? I don’t expect that. I expect it less than that.”

Unsurprisingly, Minnesota’s front office leader declined to go on record with a specific spending target. However, Dan Hayes of the Athletic reports that the Opening Day number could land somewhere between $125MM and $140MM.

It’s not entirely surprising, as Falvey had alluded to a potential spending cut last month. At the time, he pointed to the club’s uncertain local television rights fees amidst the ongoing bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, the corporation that runs the Bally Sports networks. The Twins are one of 14 teams that had an agreement with Diamond. Minnesota is still without a resolution on its 2024 in-market broadcasts, as its previous local rights deal expired at the end of the season.

Nevertheless, it’ll be disappointing news for a fanbase just a month removed from celebrating an AL Central title and the end of an 18-game postseason losing streak. The Twins have a little over $90MM in guaranteed commitments after exercising options on Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco to start the offseason. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects around $20MM in salaries for the group of arbitration-eligible players. Minimum salary players to fill out the roster bring their current projection to roughly $120MM.

However, that includes a $6.6MM arbitration projection for potential non-tender candidate Kyle Farmer. Hayes writes that Minnesota plans to explore trade possibilities on Farmer, who had a solid first year in Minneapolis. Acquired from the Reds last winter, he hit .256/.317/.408 over 369 trips to the plate. While that’s quality production for a multi-positional infielder, Minnesota got even better play out of minor league signee Willi Castro.

The Twins also have Polanco as an option to bounce between second and third base, which are likely to be manned by Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis to begin the year. With Castro and Nick Gordon also on hand, Farmer could find himself on the outside looking in. If the Twins can’t find a trade partner, they’d need to decide by November 17 whether to tender him a contract.

Of course, Polanco or Kepler could be trade possibilities themselves. Nothing prevents Minnesota from dealing either player after exercising the option. While Polanco is part of a crowded infield, Kepler is one of a number of left-handed hitting outfielders. They’re both key contributors to the lineup, so the Twins don’t figure to give either player away. They’d each have appeal were Minnesota to put them on the trade market, however. That’s especially true of Polanco, who is arguably better than any middle infielder in this winter’s free agent class and controllable for an additional season via a $12MM option for 2025.

As things stand, Minnesota could fall into the reported $125-140MM range without moving anyone off the big league roster. They’d be without much flexibility for outside acquisitions and are facing the departures of a few notable free agents. Sonny Gray is a lock to decline the qualifying offer in search of a multi-year deal worth upwards of $20MM annually, a price that’s difficult to see the Twins matching unless they move multiple players. Kenta Maeda, Michael A. Taylor, Emilio Pagán, Tyler Mahle and Donovan Solano all also hit the market. Taylor could be a particularly tough loss if the Twins aren’t confident in Byron Buxton manning center field regularly next season.

The rotation could be in solid shape even if none of Gray, Maeda or Mahle return. Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack is a strong front four, while Louie Varland has upside at the back end. The group would be a lot thinner without Gray and Maeda, however, making it difficult to repeat their AL-best production of this past season. It stands to reason they’d like to bring in at least one veteran arm to stabilize things — either in a trade or via free agency after reallocating some money.

Cashman: Yankees Seeking Two Outfielders

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met with reporters this afternoon at the GM Meetings. Asked about areas of the roster that need to be addressed, he forthrightly replied the club “(needs) two outfielders” (video provided by SNY).

The longtime baseball operations leader pointed to the late-season injury to rookie center fielder Jasson Dominguez, who will be out into the middle of the summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery. “Now I need a center fielder, I need a left fielder, preferably left-handed,” Cashman said.

Cashman also alluded to the possibility of making a move involving what he termed an “infield surplus.” The Yankees have Gold Glove winner Anthony Volpe at shortstop, while 23-year-old Oswald Peraza is arguably ready for an everyday look at second or third base. The former top prospect struggled to a .191/.267/.272 line in 52 MLB games this year but had a more impressive .268/.357/.479 showing in Triple-A. Combined with his reputation for plus defense throughout the infield, Peraza could take a step forward in 2024.

The Yankees have Gleyber Torres as the starting second baseman. The right-handed hitter was New York’s second-best offensive player this past season, hitting .273/.347/.453 with 25 homers. Torres hasn’t played great defense and is entering his final year of arbitration control, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $15.3MM salary.

“Do you try to find a lane to get Peraza involved?” Cashman rhetorically asked. “We have Gleyber Torres in the last year of his contract. He had a hell of a year.” The GM pointed to a strong second half from DJ LeMahieu, who presumably projects as the starting third baseman.

Cashman stopped well shy of saying the Yankees would shop Torres, to be clear. Yet marketing the veteran second baseman could be a way of balancing the roster. In addition to the outfield needs, the GM pointed to an annual desire to bolster the pitching.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner also met with reporters this afternoon (relayed by Bill Ladson of MLB.com). “Everything is on the table when it comes to free agents,” he said. Steinbrenner went on to call a lack of run scoring the team’s biggest problem in 2023.

That all points to a potential run at a top-of-the-market bat, with Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger leading the free agent class. Bellinger, as a left-handed hitting center fielder who dramatically cut his strikeout rate this year, would certainly fit the roster on paper. Indeed, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the club is exploring the top of the offensive market — noting they’ve been in contact with Bellinger’s camp during the early stages of the offseason.

Juan Soto is the biggest subject of trade speculation this winter. It remains unclear how seriously the Padres might consider moving their star left fielder, although the Yankees would surely be in that mix if the Friars made Soto available. If they look further down on the trade front, the likes of Max Kepler or Trent Grisham could be on the block. Grisham is the superior defender, while Kepler has more offensive upside.

As things stand, New York only has Aaron Judge locked into an outfield spot. A short-term acquisition — Kepler, for instance, is one year from free agency — could allow the Yankees to preserve future flexibility if Dominguez returns in the second half. Everson Pereira is a highly-regarded talent who could play his way into the left or center field mix but hit only .151/.233/.194 in his first 27 big league contests.

Angels To Interview Ron Washington

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The Angels are interviewing Braves third base coach Ron Washington tonight as they continue their managerial search, reports Sam Blum of the Athletic (X link). Jon Heyman of the New York Post indicated yesterday that Washington was on the Halos’ radar.

Washington continues to search for his first lead job since he resigned from the Rangers late in the 2014 season. The former infielder had led the dugout in Arlington for parts of eight years, rattling off four straight 90-win campaigns along the way. Washington’s Rangers won consecutive American League pennants in 2010-11 before falling short in the World Series.

The 71-year-old has spent the last seven years in Atlanta, where he has drawn particular praise for his work with the club’s infield. The early portion of Washington’s time on Brian Snitker’s staff overlapped with Perry Minasian’s time as an assistant general manager in Atlanta. Minasian is going into his fourth offseason at the helm of the Angels front office, with his next hire representing the third managerial hire of that time.

Heyman suggested yesterday that owner Arte Moreno was prioritizing previous managerial experience in this hiring search. Minasian told reporters this afternoon that the Halos were seeking a skipper who can “command a room” but left open the possibility of a first-time hire (link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register).

Tigers Notes: Rodriguez, Mize, Maton, Baddoo

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The Tigers face the potential loss of Eduardo Rodriguez, who officially opted out of his contract on Saturday. The move was entirely unsurprising with the left-hander in good position to land a much better deal than the three years and $49MM that remained.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweeted shortly before Rodriguez opted out that his camp had continued discussions with the Tigers about potentially reworking his contract. At this week’s GM Meetings, Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris confirmed that report but seemed to downplay the chance of re-signing Rodriguez now that he has reached free agency.

The Tigers’ front office leader told reporters the club’s valuation of the pitcher is “locked in” after two seasons in the Motor City (relayed by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press). Asked whether the team would stay in contact with Rodriguez’s camp, Harris referenced rules prohibiting him from commenting on specific free agents before adding he “can wish him the best of luck in free agency.”

Should Rodriguez sign elsewhere, it stands to reason the Tigers would bring in a starter from outside the organization. Tarik Skubal looked like a top-flight starter when he returned from flexor surgery, but the rest of the rotation has a relatively brief track record at the MLB level. Reese Olson and Sawyer Gipson-Long showed promise as rookies. Matt Manning pitched to a 3.58 ERA but was limited to 15 starts by separate foot fractures. Former first overall pick Casey Mize missed the entire 2023 season recovering from June ’22 Tommy John surgery.

Detroit announced this evening that Mize has been throwing bullpen sessions without issue and is expected to have a normal offseason. The same can’t be said for infielder Nick Maton, who recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure to address a left knee problem. The Tigers haven’t indicated whether the issue could linger into Spring Training, noting only that Maton is currently in post-operation rehab. Acquired from the Phillies in last offseason’s Gregory Soto deal, the left-handed hitter ran a .173/.288/.305 line over 93 games during his first season as a Tiger.

In one other piece of roster news, Harris addressed the future of corner outfielder Akil Baddoo. The former Rule 5 draftee seemed a potential non-tender candidate, particularly after the club brought in Mark Canha to join Riley Greene and Parker Meadows in the outfield mix. Harris implied that Baddoo would be tendered a contract, telling the media (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) that the outfielder “still very much fits in” their plans. Baddoo, who hit .218/.310/.372 this past season, is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $1.7MM salary as a Super Two qualifier.

Enrique Hernández Undergoes Hernia Surgery

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Free agent infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernández underwent double hernia surgery on October 24, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The utility player is expected to resume baseball activities in three to four weeks, which should allow him to have a fairly normal offseason and Spring Training.

It’s unknown exactly when this issue cropped up but it’s possible it has been bothering him for a while. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic relayed today that Hernández had surgery on a hematoma in his psoas muscle last year. He made multiple trips to the injured list in 2022 with what was called a right hip flexor strain, though McCaffrey’s reporting from September of 2022 states that the issue “turned into an abdominal strain created by a hematoma in the psoas muscle, located between the lower part of his spine and his upper thigh. Hernández had blood drained through a needle in his spine and received a PRP shot around the All-Star break to accelerate the healing.”

Hernández, now 32, hit .237/.312/.432 for the Dodgers over 463 games from 2017 to 2020. That amounted to a wRC+ of 98, indicating he was just 2% below league average in that time, as he served as a versatile player that could be plugged into many places. He played every position except catcher in that stretch, even making an appearance on the mound.

He was able to parlay those results into a two-year, $14MM deal with the Red Sox going into 2021. He first season of the deal went very well, with Hernández getting his batting line up to .250/.337/.449 and his wRC+ to 109. Unfortunately, he dipped to a line of .222/.291/.338 and a 74 wRC+ in 2022 as the aforementioned IL stints limited him to 93 games.

Nonetheless, the Sox believed in him enough to give him a one-year extension as that season was winding down, giving him $10MM to stick around for 2023. That didn’t really work out, with Hernández hitting .222/.279/.320 for a 59 wRC+ with the Red Sox. He was flipped to the Dodgers at the deadline and had a respectable finish, slashing .262/.308/.423 for a 96 wRC+, though the combined line between the two clubs resulted in a wRC+ of 72 for the year.

If the surgery puts Hernández in position to have better results going forward, that could be a noteworthy development for the free agent market. There’s a general dearth of impact position players, particularly in the middle infield. Hernández was set to be one of the most accomplished players available in that category, alongside options like Amed Rosario, Whit Merrifield and Adam Frazier. If his two most recent seasons were dragged down by health issues, that will make his status in the months to come a development worth monitoring.

Erick Fedde Drawing Interest From MLB Clubs

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Right-hander Erick Fedde is drawing interest from major league clubs after spending 2023 with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Fedde, 31 in February, was once a highly-touted prospect, with the Nationals selecting him 18th overall in the 2014 draft. But he didn’t find much success in the big leagues, making 102 appearances for the Nats from 2017 to 2022 with a 5.41 earned run average.

As mentioned, he joined the Dinos for this past year and the move to Korea could hardly have gone better for him. He threw 180 1/3 innings over his 30 starts with his ERA finishing at an even 2.00. He struck out 29.5% of batters faced while walking just 4.9% and also kept the ball on the ground at an incredible 70% clip. For reference, the MLB ground ball rate was 42.5% in 2023. The overall results were strong enough for him to win the Choi Dong-won award, which is given to the best starting pitcher in the league each year, making it roughly the KBO equivalent of the Cy Young.

That figures to make Fedde an interesting wild card entry into the free agent pitching market this offseason, with MLBTR having given him an honorable mention in our recent Top 50 Free Agents post. The results for North American pitchers returning from a stint in Korea are mixed, with some recent examples ranging from Merrill Kelly to Chris Flexen to Josh Lindblom. Kelly has made 127 starts for the Diamondbacks over the past five years with a 3.80 ERA. Lindblom had great results in Korea but posted a 6.39 ERA in his 20 appearances for the Brewers. Flexen had a 3.66 ERA for the Mariners over 2021 and 2022 but was torched for an ERA of 6.86 in 2023.

Each pitcher is unique and precedent can only tell us so much about Fedde as an individual. Given his excellent 2023 campaign and status as a former top prospect, he should garner plenty of interest, particularly from the clubs priced out of the top of the market. Pitchers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Jordan Montgomery seem positioned for nine-figure guarantees while sizeable eight-figure deals should be attainable by guys like Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez and Shota Imanaga.

Kelly got a two-year, $5.5MM deal from Arizona going into 2019. A year later, Lindblom got $9.125MM plus incentives over three years from the Brewers. Flexen got $4.75MM over two years from the Mariners prior to 2021, plus a vesting option for 2023. Fedde may be able to top those figures through a combination of his superb season, his former prospect pedigree and inflation, but the guarantee still figures to be lighter than the top available arms.

Zaidi: Giants Plan To Pursue Rotation Help, Defensive Upgrades In Outfield

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The Giants head into the offseason in search of ways to bolster a team that has produced just one winning record in the past seven seasons. San Francisco flirted with Wild Card contention for much of the 2023 campaign, but a 9-19 finish to the season dashed any hopes of returning to the playoffs. Not only that, but the team’s late collapse doomed manager Gabe Kapler, who was dismissed after four years on the job and replaced by future Hall of Fame skipper Bob Melvin.

The Giants’ hiring of Melvin dovetailed with an extension for president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi, both of whom are now signed through 2026. Zaidi kicked off his winter with a fair bit of transparency, candidly acknowledging in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea that his team is “going to be in the starting pitching market” and that he’ll also be on the lookout for ways to augment his outfield alignment. Specifically, Zaidi hopes to improve his outfield’s glovework. “We’ll look to add a little bit more speed, a little bit more range to the outfield,” Zaidi tells Shea.

At least as far as the outfield upgrades are concerned, the trade market will present more options than free agency. Cody Bellinger is the top outfielder (and top non-Shohei Ohtani) free agent of the offseason, and the former Dodgers star is quite familiar to Zaidi, who served as the general manager in Los Angeles before being hired away by the division-rival Giants. That said, Scott Boras will surely be seeking a massive contract for Bellinger on the heels of a resurgent season, and given the dearth of quality hitters on the market, competition for him could be steep.

Other outfield options with plus gloves include Kevin Kiermaier, Harrison Bader and Michael A. Taylor (to name a few). Kiermaier and Bader come with plenty of injury concern, however, and all three have inconsistent offensive track records (at best). Perhaps for those reasons, Zaidi at least alluded to the possibility of operating on the trade market — noting that younger (and thus more athletic players) tend to come via that market rather than free agency. KBO star Jung Hoo Lee, who’ll be posted by the Kiwoom Heroes this winter, could bring some of that youth and athleticism to the table, as he’s just 25 years of age. However, his season ended early with an ankle injury, and MLB evaluators are split on the extent of his defensive value in the outfield.

The Giants’ current outfield alignment figures to include some combination of Mike Yastrzemski, Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto, who exercised an $18MM player option yesterday and will now return for a second season at Oracle Park. Alternative options on the 40-man roster include Austin Slater, Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, Wade Meckler and Blake Sabol. That group was lackluster in the field, ranking 22nd in the Majors with -7 Defensive Runs Saved and 27th with -13 Outs Above Average.

As far as the pitching is concerned, it’s a natural and obvious need for the Giants to pursue. Ace Logan Webb will return to front the rotation, and the Giants picked up their $10MM club option on righty Alex Cobb (a net $8MM decision when factoring in the option’s $2MM buyout). Top prospect Kyle Harrison made his MLB debut in 2023 but has just seven big league starts to his name. Ross Stripling picked up a player option and will be back in the mix next year, though he’s plenty familiar working in a swingman capacity. Righty Anthony DeSclafani is signed through 2024 under a three-year, $36MM contract, but he’s pitched just 118 2/3 innings of 5.16 ERA ball during that deal due to ankle and forearm injuries — the former of which required surgery.

For much of the season’s second half, the Giants operated with only a pair of traditional starters. Bullpen games were a frequent tactic, with Stripling, Sean Manaea (who declined a player option) and Keaton Winn among the pitchers who were tasked with working long relief stints in such settings. Given the lack of established rotation talent, starting pitching is an obvious area of focus the team.

Zaidi acknowledged that he expects to talk with Manaea and his agents at the Boras Corporation about a potential return, but the starting pitching market is generally considered to be a deep one this offseason. Beyond Ohtani (who won’t pitch in 2024), 25-year-old NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto headlines this year’s class. Countryman Shota Imanaga is also well-regarded and available for MLB teams to sign. More known commodities include Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery, Sonny Gray and Eduardo Rodriguez, though as shown on yesterday’s Top 50 Free Agent List here at MLBTR, the options beyond those top tiers are plentiful.

Latest On Brewers’ Managerial Vacancy

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The Brewers are suddenly looking for a manager for the first time in almost a decade, with Craig Counsell’s stunning move to the Cubs yesterday. Some of the options they are considering as a replacement, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, are 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.

Counsell departing Milwaukee wasn’t totally unforeseen. He was on an expiring contract in 2023 and extension talks didn’t come to fruition. But with David Stearns moving on from the Brewers to become president of baseball operations for the Mets and then firing manager Buck Showalter, many assumed Counsell would follow him to Queens. But Counsell joining the division-rival Cubs was not foreseen or known to be on the table.

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio spoke on the matter yesterday, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and it seems he was surprised as well. “When he first told me, I said, ‘Are you messing with me?’” Attanasio added that “It is what it is” and that the club intends to continue putting their best foot forward without Counsell. “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.”

As for the Mets, despite the generally spendthrift behavior of Steve Cohen in recent years, they apparently never got close to the $40MM over five years that Counsell secured from the Cubs. Per Andy Martino of SNY, there was a sense that his interest in coming to the Mets wasn’t actually that high and he was merely using them to drive up the bidding. That would track with his reported interest in resetting the market for managerial salaries. Perhaps he wasn’t especially willing to do that in Queens since he grew up in the Midwest and Chicago is a better fit for him, or perhaps the Mets were content to hire a manager with lesser demands, but the end result is that the Mets landed first-time manager Carlos Mendoza instead.

As for the Brewers’ immediate concerns in relation to this, though it may sting that Counsell joined a division rival instead of the Mets, the focus now will be on filling the void. It seems they weren’t terribly proactive while Counsell was still available, with Attanasio stating that he and general manager Matt Arnold “thought it was going to muddy things if we started interviews with third parties” but that Arnold has “conducted a couple of internal interviews, for what that’s worth.” That suggests they are still in the early stages of their search, with still a wide list of potential candidates being considered, as mentioned above.

Murphy, 65 this month, has a small amount of managerial experience. He was in the Padres’ organization in June of 2015 when Bud Black was fired as manager. Murphy got the gig on an interim basis for the second half of that season but Andy Green took over for the 2016 campaign. Murphy then came to the Brewers to serve as bench coach under Counsell and has garnered plenty of interest from clubs with managerial openings since, but has stayed in Milwaukee.

Mattingly, 63 in April, has plenty of experience as a bench boss. He was at the helm for the Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 and then for the Marlins from 2016 to 2022, before joining the Blue Jays as bench coach for the 2023 season.

Espada, 48, has coaching experience with the Marlins and Yankees but has been the bench coach of the Astros since the start of the 2018 season. He has been connected to various managerial gigs in the past few years but is still with the Astros, who just saw Dusty Baker step out of the skipper’s chair. It’s been speculated that Espada could take over in Houston but nothing is official there.

McCullough, 44 next month, has been the first base coach of the Dodgers since the 2021 campaign. He recently interviewed for the managerial opening in Cleveland but that position has now been filled by Stephen Vogt.

Snitker, 35 next month, is the son of Atlanta manager Brian Snitker. He has been co-hitting coach for the Astros for the past five seasons alongside Álex Cintrón.

Weeks, 41, played in the majors from 2003 to 2017, most of that in Milwaukee. He was hired by the Brewers for a player development role going into the 2022 season.

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