The Cleveland Guardians don’t have a manager as of Wednesday afternoon.
Terry Francona, who had been the skipper in Cleveland since 2013, retired after the 2023 campaign and now the franchise is looking for his replacement.
The Guardians have shown significant interest in Milwaukee Brewers skipper Craig Counsell, but so has half the league.
Every Guardians beat writer rightfully considers Counsell a long shot to take over the Guardians, but one analyst/podcaster refuses to give up.
“I know Pluto and maybe Meisel have called the Counsell thing a long shot and it definitely isn’t likely… But I think Guardians would already have a manager if they didn’t think there was a chance down the Counsell road,” @GageEHC tweeted.
I know Pluto and maybe Meisel have called the Counsell thing a long shot and it definitely isn’t likely…
But I think Guardians would already have a manager if they didn’t think there was a chance down the Counsell road. https://t.co/D3icnOigho
— Gage (@GageEHC) October 30, 2023
The problem for the Guardians is the fact that nearly all of the teams with managerial openings are apparently holding out hope to hire Counsell.
The New York Mets are interested, and they now have David Stearns (Counsell’s boss in Milwaukee from 2015-23) in charge, plus a really solid salary raise.
Among the teams with openings, the San Francisco Giants are the only one that filled theirs, but the San Diego Padres now joined the list.
Counsell’s future should be decided in the not-so-distant future, and then the teams that lose out on the sweepstakes will finally pivot to other alternatives.
Can the Guardians sign Counsell to be their new manager?
Of course they can.
Is it likely?
Not particularly, but as long as there is hope and he remains available, it’s a real possibility.
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