Mets could get into bidding war for 1 rival MLB manager?

Sep 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alexandra Cohen at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets might not be finished raiding the cupboard of the Milwaukee Brewers just yet.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday that the Mets could potentially get into a bidding war with the Brewers for manager Craig Counsell, who is in the last year of his contract. Heyman says that Counsell’s team plans to start contract talks with Milwaukee after the postseason after deferring discussions last spring. That may set the stage for a competition for Counsell between the Brewers and spend-happy Mets.

For the Mets, the immediate connection is an obvious one. They just hired longtime Brewers executive David Stearns to serve as their new president of baseball operations. Stearns was in charge of Milwaukee’s front office from 2015-22, and Counsell was the only manager that he ever worked with. The Mets may also be thinking about a longer-term future as current skipper Buck Showalter is one of the oldest managers in baseball at 67 years old (with his contract expiring after the 2024 season).

Counsell, 53, might not necessarily be keen to leave Milwaukee since he has succeeded there (not to mention that Counsell is a Midwest native). But if the Mets write the check for Counsell, giving him the opportunity for an upward move to a big market with a familiar front office boss, it may be tough for the very in-demand manager to say no.