The Brewers postseason got off to a rather miserable start prior to Game 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when Brandon Woodruff was declared out for the series, thus seriously testing Milwaukee's pitching depth.
After Corbin Burnes fell in Game 1, Counsell handed the ball to Freddy Peralta in Game 2, and it did not go according to plan. Milwaukee's pitching staff ultimately was the death of their once-promising season, though they also missed several opportunities with runners in scoring position.
Once the dust settles and the disappointment of 2023 is behind them, Matt Arnold will have to look forward to next season. Next year's roster should look much different, including in the dugout.
Milwaukee Brewers who won't be back: Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell is set to be one of the biggest managerial free agents in quite some time, as the longtime Brewers skipper is set to hit the open market once his contract ends this offseason. Prior to the start of the regular season, Counsell sounded open to staying in Milwaukee, but that was a long time ago at this point.
"I'm in a great place. I love doing what I'm doing. The 'why' is still intact – like, why I originally wanted to do this. It's still front and center for me, and why I love the job. I'm happy. Mark [Attanasio] and I have had conversations and I'm sure those will continue. And meanwhile, I've got my feet in 2023 and I'm ready to go," Counsell said in February.
Just prior to the postseason, Counsell was asked again about his looming departure, and he did not shy away from the question.
"I'm not under contract, so if other people ask, I'm not going to ignore it," Counsell said,according to The Athletic.
The executive who hired Counsell, former Brewers general manager David Stearns, has since signed on with the New York Mets after taking a year off. It just so happens the Mets have a managerial opening following the dismissal of Buck Showalter.
This all adds up to Counsell likely leaving, barring a surprise.
Milwaukee Brewers who won't be back: Josh Donaldson
Josh Donaldson signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers after he was released by the New York Yankees this summer. Donaldson's contract essentially forced him to have a role in New York, but that was not the case with the Brew Crew, where the veteran third baseman earned every at-bat. Still, it's fair to wonder if Donaldson ever took to the Milwaukee clubhouse, especially after some revealing comments made by teammate Rowdy Tellez.
"Your first piece of trash talk that you put on JD, when you saw him or when you felt comfortable, that he wasn't gonna beat you up." Rowdy responded to that comment, "I wasn't scared of him to start with," but according to the interview, Rowdy said, "He walked into the clubhouse, and walked straight by, and I was like, 'Hey,' with a couple of other words after that."
At the time of his release, Donaldson was hitting .143 for the Yankees. The likes of Brice Turang and Owen Miller are just a bit behind him on the depth chart, but both are young and controllable assets. Expect Milwaukee to move on. It's likely for the best.
Milwaukee Brewers who won't be back: Carlos Santana
Milwaukee traded for Carlos Santana -- a player who had spent time with the Brewers previously -- as a rental from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the deadline. Santana did what he was supposed to do, serving as a clubhouse leader and a slugger in the middle of the Brewers lineup.
The Pirates did not necessarily want to trade Santana in the first place, and a return to Pittsburgh would make some sense as there isn't a first baseman of the future in play there just yet. The veteran first baseman hit .249/.314/.459 with the Brewers, fueled by a postseason push that was missing in the Steel City.
Despite all of this, Santana is in his age-37 season and the Brewers would be wise to find a more permanent option at first base. Expect them to head in a different direction this offseason, perhaps holding onto Mark Canha, who is on a club option.
Milwaukee Brewers who won't be back: Corbin Burnes
Milwaukee's arbitration battle with Corbin Burnes could come back to haunt them this offseason. While Burnes still has one year left on his contract, there's no guarantee he wants to spend it with the Brewers, despite their winning ways. Burnes has been connected to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past, and it just so happens they need pitching. If Arnold is certain that Burnes won't sign long-term with the Brewers, expect him to be shopped at the winter meetings.
This past February, Burnes hinted that the Brewers may have shot themselves in the foot with their arbitration case:
"There's no denying that the relationship was definitely hurt from what (transpired) over the last couple weeks. There's really no way to get around that," Burnes said. "When some of the things that are said … they basically put me in the forefront of the reason why we didn't make the postseason last year. That's something that probably didn't need to be said."
As FanSided's Robert Murray wrote at the time, the long-term impact of fighting with Burnes over less than $1 million. could be catastrophic.
"For now, Burnes intends to move forward and put the ruling behind him. The Brewers have, too, issuing a statement on what the right-hander means to the organization. But the potential long-term ramifications of damaging their relationship was not worth saving less than $750,000."
If Milwaukee can start over and fetch some decent prospect capital for Burnes prior to him reaching free agency, it's worth a listen.
