Article: Josh Donaldson Represents the Final Test of Superstar Manager Craig Counsell

[Matthew Trueblood]

If it's not clear by now, the position of this website has been that Craig Counsell is not only integral to the Brewers' success over the last several year, but one of the best four or five managers in baseball over the last decade. We're about to find out whether all that is still true.

Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

For a team leading its division by three games and trying to reach the postseason for the fifth time in six years, the Brewers have weird vibes right now. An almost silent drama is playing out with Brian Anderson, who has been so profoundly neglected by a team that seems to need precisely the things he does well that it's stirring conspiratorial questions in the fan base. The three stars who anchor the roster but are slated for free agency after 2024 are still here, but none are any less likely to depart after 2024 than they were six months ago. Most importantly, David Stearns seems increasingly certain to take over the New York Mets' baseball operations, and the rumors that he might bring Counsell along as the new skipper are starting to swirl.

To the credit of everyone involved--but especially, perhaps, to the credit of Counsell, whose job it is to keep the clubhouse focused and equanimous--that potentially volatile brew has scarcely emitted even a bubble of real controversy all year. Now, though, they're adding as big a catalyst to the quiescent mix as is possible, putting Josh Donaldson squarely in the middle of a relatively young, relatively "aw shucks" collection of personalities. Donaldson is a potential catalyst to a lineup, and to a contender in general. He's also a potential catalyst for unignited conflict, as he's proved in more than one recent stop.

Under normal circumstances, in something of a departure from many of my colleagues here, I would not have a problem with taking this risk. Acquiring a guy with Donaldson's professional pride and prickliness is considerably less risky at the end of August even than it would be at the end of July. By now, every team knows itself. Every team has a nucleus, and a leadership structure, and every newcomer has to submit to and assimilate into the fabric of the existing clubhouse culture. Donaldson is, necessarily, a mercenary, but it's not necessarily a bad idea to bring in a mercenary at this time of year--even one with a mixed reputation as a teammate.

These, alas, aren't normal circumstances. With a certain acidity already lurking just below the surface with this team, Donaldson might be the glycerin that turns the mixture explosive in the wrong way--in an uncontrolled way. Andruw Monasterio has little standing, little currency with which to claim the position Donaldson is taking from him (Donaldson is starting, right away, at third base, where Monasterio has been the regular all summer), but he might have supporters in the clubhouse, especially given the youth movement that already could fairly feel slightly disenfranchised. (Joey Wiemer, as we know, has been shoved aside by other veteran acquisitions.) Donaldson might assert a degree of leadership that rubs guys like Christian Yelich and Willy Adames the wrong way. A lot of things might sour the chemistry, for a team that hasn't yet sewn up anything.

Of course, there's also tremendous upside here. All year, the Crew has been short on power, and a healthy Donaldson delivers that in spades. If Counsell can hold together the threads of this group, they now have a better chance not only of locking up the NL Central, but of making a deep charge in the playoffs. The variance here is significant. It's an unexpected risk, from a traditionally risk-averse team and front office. That, itself, might betray the fact that they understand the unique position they're in. Counsell might very well manage elsewhere in 2024. Adames, Corbin Burnes, and/or Brandon Woodruff might play elsewhere. This is not the last ride for this team--not by a longshot. They have plenty of young and controlled talent, and should be right back in this general area next September. They might look very different, though, and that means that the certainty of that sustained competitiveness is awfully low at the moment, In light of that, everyone involved has decided to take a major risk. Whether or not it pays off could determine whether Counsell finally wins the Manager of the Year Award that has too long eluded him, and whether or not the team finally claims the pennant that has been similarly out of reach for 40 years.

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[jerichoholicninja]

Is this a ghostbear-written article? I mean really what is the point of it?

[wiguy94]

Feels like a lot of clickbait in this article. 

[torts]

I immediately regret clicking this

[Jim French Stepstool]

Referring to Donaldson as a mercenary was kinda cool, though.🗡️

[MrTPlush]

Stop spamming the forum with these embarrassing articles. I mean, what even is this?

[HarveysWBs]

There is a lot of conjecture here, and not a lot of substance.  Are we going for a TMZ vibe now, or just Cubs fan wishcasting?

[Team Canada]

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

the position of this website has been that Craig Counsell is not only integral to the Brewers' success over the last several year, but one of the best four or five managers in baseball over the last decade.

I mean, this is pretty much the position of anyone around baseball at this point, right?

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

the Brewers have weird vibes right now

They do?

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

An almost silent drama is playing out with Brian Anderson, who has been so profoundly neglected by a team that seems to need precisely the things he does well that it's stirring conspiratorial questions in the fan base

Almost silent? There are conspiratorial questions? The only question is why is he still on the roster? He's been dreadful since lighting the world on fire in April. This is not a mystery.

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

the rumors that he might bring Counsell along as the new skipper are starting to swirl.

No. I mean, there is the one poster here that won't let it go...

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Joey Wiemer, as we know, has been shoved aside by other veteran acquisitions.

If by "shoved aside" you mean relegated to the bench because he's been really really bad.

15 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Counsell might very well manage elsewhere in 2024

No. 100% no.

[SF70]

I respect Matt’s general baseball knowledge, especially in the pitching realm, but to have a Cubbies fan commenting on a Brewers website is not cool. The knowledge of all things Brewers just isn’t there and the eyeroll’s are reaching epic proportions.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I've kept my mouth shut about the tons of articles cluttering up the forum. But this one in particular is nonsense. We have reached the point of TOO MANY ARTICLES. 

This is just bad. 

[kestrel79]

Agreed. Can anyone basically make an article and get it on the page? There's too many, and they aren't good.

[wiguy94]

57 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I've kept my mouth shut about the tons of articles cluttering up the forum. But this one in particular is nonsense. We have reached the point of TOO MANY ARTICLES. 

This is just bad. 

I was generally on the opposite side of this argument previously but at one point yesterday there was literally 6 posted articles on the MLB forum in a span of 24 hours. That’s just totally excessive. Zero need for 6 articles to be posted in 24 hours on a site like this.

[Brock Beauchamp]

35 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

I was generally on the opposite side of this argument previously but at one point yesterday there was literally 6 posted articles on the MLB forum in a span of 24 hours. That’s just totally excessive. Zero need for 6 articles to be posted in 24 hours on a site like this.

This is exactly what we ran into on Twins Daily. I think it might be time to pull the trigger on moving articles to the news forum. I'm dealing with moving my dad to assisted living so my days are really chaotic right now, give me a few days to put up a poll and get community feedback on this.

[TURBO]

I know better than to click this guy's stuff, but I did it anyway.

Regretted it instantly.

Cubs fans writing Brewers articles is just sacrilegious and needs to stop.

[BrewerFan]

On 9/12/2023 at 8:40 AM, wiguy94 said:

I was generally on the opposite side of this argument previously but at one point yesterday there was literally 6 posted articles on the MLB forum in a span of 24 hours. That’s just totally excessive. Zero need for 6 articles to be posted in 24 hours on a site like this.

Same here.

On 9/12/2023 at 6:40 AM, SF70 said:

I respect Matt’s general baseball knowledge, especially in the pitching realm, but to have a Cubbies fan commenting on a Brewers website is not cool. The knowledge of all things Brewers just isn’t there and the eyeroll’s are reaching epic proportions.

Ok...I saw someone else say they'd learned to not comment on this guys articles, but I don't pay attention that closely. The worst articles I've seen have kinda been scattered in almost a Bleacher Report type of way with some wild speculation, but some of those people have also written great articles. Clancy for example. Some of them are a bit...ridiculous(I swear if I hear a Bobby Bonilla type deferred payment again I'll lose my mind, it's a sign he fundamentally doesn't understand that arrangement and a Stephen Strausburg type payment would make much more sense)...but not trying to throw shade his way I just think some are...unlikely like he's incentivized to see how many he can throw out.

 

But I do remember a couple from a "Cubs fan," that seemed really out of touch with the Brewers. But I think the broader points Matt makes in his articles have been good(this one is not, it makes very little sense and I'm not following any of it). 

[Brian]

Josh Donelson with Brewers Average 9-14-23  .308 

Since he is a 3rd baseman maybe he can play 1st base also.