In a pleasant surprise for the Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers have changed course and granted permission for the team to interview Craig Counsell for its managerial vacancy, according to league sources.
Counsell is under contract with the Brewers through the end of the month. Milwaukee’s position had been to make him wait until November to explore other opportunities. But early this week the Brewers decided to allow the interview, which will happen in the near future.
Counsell is widely regarded as one of the game’s best managers, and worked in Milwaukee with the Mets’ new president of baseball operations, David Stearns. Although Counsell has deep ties to the Brewers organization and lives year round in Wisconsin, he is said to be willing to come to New York if the job seems a fit.
Despite the upcoming interview, that fit is not a guarantee. Counsell will explore other opportunities, including staying with the Brewers. One league source who knows Counsell well said on Wednesday that there remained a real chance he would re-sign with his home team.
The Mets, meanwhile, are adamant that they will conduct a full and wide-ranging search.
Having said all that, there is a strong expectation in the industry that the Mets will ultimately hire Counsell. That could be gossip -- but if so, it is heavy gossip.
For today, what we know for sure is that the process is moving forward more quickly than expected.
