Craig Counsell’s New Contract To Make Him Highest-Paid MLB Manager of All-Time

The Chicago Cubs have made arguably their biggest move of the offseason, signing former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to a record-breaking contract.

Counsell will move from the NL Central-rival Brewers to the Cubs, thanks to a deal that will pay him more than $40 million over five seasons. Counsell’s new contract will make him the highest-paid manager in baseball history, besting the $7.5 million salary commanded by former NY Yankees manager Joe Torre.

The contract will also more than double his salary from his final year in Milwaukee ($3.5 million) and nearly double his career earnings from his playing days. Counsell played 17 MLB seasons with five different teams to amass over $22 million in career earnings during his MLB career.

Counsell’s New Contract To Reset Market For MLB Managers

Counsell guided the Brewers to the MLB Playoffs in five of the past six seasons and was reportedly deciding between staying home in Wisconsin or taking on a new challenge with the NY Mets. Instead, the Cubs seized the opportunity by making Counsell an offer that he couldn’t refuse.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Terry Francona had been the highest-paid MLB manager prior to his retirement. He earned $4.5 million in his final year with the Cleveland Guardians.

Now, Counsell’s paycheck will come in at a staggering $8 million per year and is expected to reset the market for free agent managers.

Should MLB Managers Be Paid More Money

After news broke about Counsell’s record-breaking deal, former MLB pitcher C.C. Sabathia replied to a post from Boardroom, saying “More managers need to be paid like this.”

Sabathia seems to have a point too.

USA Today’s Bob Nightingale reported that six managers in MLB made less than $1 million in 2023 with a whopping 15 managers earning $1.75 million or less.

Only three veteran managers were able to earn over $4 million in 2023:

1. Terry Francona, Cleveland Guardians ($4.5 million)
2. Dusty Baker, Houston Astros ($4 million)
3. Bob Melvin, San Diego Padres ($4 million)

Francona and Baker have since retired but several MLB teams are still looking for managers heading into the 2024 season, including some major market clubs.

With a 707-625 record from 2015 to 2023, Counsell is the winningest manager in Brewers history. Milwaukee has been to the postseason just nine times since 1970 and Counsell managed five of those seasons, an incredible feat while managing in one of the MLB’s smallest markets.
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