Brewers Owner: Craig Counsell 'Lost Us and Lost Our Community' After Joining Cubs

Milwaukee Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio was far from thrilled about Craig Counsell's agreement to become the new manager of the Chicago Cubs.

"We've lost Craig (to Chicago), but I've reflected on this—Craig has lost us and lost our community," Attanasio said, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Counsell previously served as the Brewers' manager since 2015, leading the organization to a record of 707-625 in nine years.

His contract with Milwaukee expired on Oct. 31, although many predicted that he would simply sign a new deal to remain with the team or join the New York Mets. This was mainly due to the Mets hiring David Stearns to be their president of baseball operations, as Stearns had served as the general manager of Counsell's Brewers since 2015.

Instead, the Chicago Cubs swooped in with a monumental offer to bring in the revered skipper. Counsell signed a five-year contract worth more than $40 million that instantly makes him the highest-paid manager in baseball, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

In a corresponding move, the Cubs fired incumbent manager David Ross.

Chicago hasn't made the postseason since 2020, although the team's record has improved in each of the past three years. The Cubs also currently own the No. 1 farm system in MLB, according to FanGraphs.