The Milwaukee Brewers were eliminated from the postseason last week, suffering a two-game sweep in their Wild Card Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Brewers are now entering an uncertain winter. Manager Craig Counsell is scheduled to hit free agency, and three key players -- aces Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff and shortstop Willy Adames -- are about to embark on their final years of team control. It's possible, if not likely, that the Brewers look a lot different the next time they take the field.
Brewers general manager Matt Arnold discussed all of the above during his wrap-up press conference on Tuesday afternoon. He did not speak like someone who felt that the winds of change were swirling around him.
With respect to Counsell, Arnold stressed that the Brewers will give him time and space to figure out what he wants to do next year and where he wants to do it. "He's our top choice here, for sure," Arnold told reporters, including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "I want to respect Craig. I want to respect the time he's put into this franchise and the opportunity he has in front of him."
Counsell has, of course, become a rumored candidate to take over the New York Mets. That speculation follows the Mets hiring former Brewers executive David Stearns as their new top baseball decision maker and their subsequent dismissal of skipper Buck Showalter. It stands to reason that the Mets have a leg-up if they get into a bidding war with the Brewers over Counsell's services.
As for the trio of stars, Arnold said that he would be "extremely comfortable" keeping all three into next season. He added that he expects Burnes will be a member of the Brewers roster when camps open. Keep in mind, general managers are not legally binded by their press conference remarks. Furthermore, Arnold would be doing himself no favors if he ceded leverage by admitting that he felt obligated to trade one or more of the three.
Still, you can understand if Brewers fans take some comfort in Arnold's words, if only for the time being.
