Six takeaways from an extended chat with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio (2024)

Prior to taking in Friday night’s game at American Family Field, Milwaukee Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio held an extended roundtable interview session with members of the local media.

Attanasio typically addresses reporters during landmark dates as the season progresses, but Friday’s chat was a rare, lengthy on-the-record chat to take place during the course of the regular season.

Over the 40-minute discussion, topics ranged from payroll, to Willy Adames extension talks to, of course, the recent return of Craig Counsell to Milwaukee.

Here are six takeaways from the interview.

Fans ‘speak for themselves’ with response to Counsell’s return

Attanasio was asked what his thoughts were when he saw the overwhelming reaction of boos to Counsell’s return to American Family Field as manager of the Cubs earlier in the week.

“The fans speak for themselves,” Attanasio said. “There’s been times I’m sure that they’re not that happy with me, either.”

Does Attanasio feel any sense of vindication with how the Cubs are playing compared to the Brewers right now?

“It’s too early,” he said. “And you kind of flip-flop in and out the Cubs and Cardinals – one got hot and one got cold. A 2-8 stretch for us and I won’t be so cheery. Look, really, the commitment to the city, the community, the state especially now with the funding that we have, it was critical for me to continue on the trajectory that we were on. And I feel that we’ve done that.”

Counsell also revealed Monday that the departure of former president of baseball operations David Stearns following the 2022 season – which came after the contentious Josh Hader trade – played a key role in him starting to consider taking a job someplace else. Attanasio downplayed his response to Counsell making that information public.

“This is, whether it’s David, there’s movement in all sports everywhere,” Attanasio said. “Craig is the winningest manager in our history, period. So a team that mostly has regional and local focus had a national (focus) and he wanted to explore that.”

There were recent contract extension discussions with a key player

It sounds like Attanasio and the Brewers explored keeping shortstop Willy Adames in Milwaukee long-term but extension discussion seem to have reached what was the most likely outcome all along: that Adames’ performance had put him on a trajectory to hit the open market after this season.

“He’s the best,” Attanasio said. “Yes, there were conversations. Willy’s performance got to a point where it would be – we’ll see what happens after the season – but he’s going to command quite a significant package as a free agent. The best thing I can say about that is we had plenty of offers for Willy Adames this off-season. If you put (them) into an analytic model there may have been some merit to build for the future.

“But you just can’t put a price on his leadership, his posting every day. Willy Adames does not want to miss a game. So guess what, now Wiliam Contreras doesn’t want to miss a game. We’ve developed a culture and Willy’s a key.”

General manager Matt Arnold, who was also present, was then asked if that meant Adames will be off the table come the trade deadline in two months.

“From my perspective you can never close the door on anything, but he is the heartbeat of our team in a lot of ways,” Arnold said. “Always want to stay open minded but also recognize the value that he brings to us everyday.”

“Everyday,” Attanasio echoed.

A look at manager-owner dynamic between Pat Murphy and Attanasio

Attanasio reiterated that initially the Brewers gave Murphy a first interview as a courtesy when Counsell went to the Cubs, but it went so well they gave him a second one. After that, it became apparent to Arnold and Attanasio that the bench coach under Counsell was a frontrunner for the job.

Attanasio shed light onto what the relationship is now like between he and Murphy.

“He was here nine seasons. We had a very sort of easy going relationship before,” he said. “A lot of jokes. So I imagined there would be fewer jocular interludes, and that’s been right. Our conversations have been more serious now than they were before by a lot.

“Interestingly, I probably talk to him less now. As the manager I don’t want to be calling Murph all the time. He reached out to me like 10 days ago and said, ‘Hey I haven’t heard from you.’ We had a little bit of a losing spot then and I said, ‘I don’t want to call you while we’re losing. I don’t want to put any more pressure.’ He said, ‘But everything’s OK, right?’ I said, ‘Everything’s great.’ I sent him a couple texts since then to make sure that he knows I still love him.”

Don’t expect Jackson Chourio to get sent down to Class AAA at this rate

Attanasio made it clear he does not see any merit to sending Jackson Chourio, who’s batting .210 with a .582 OPS, to Class AAA Nashville at the current rate.

“Player development is critical for this organization,” he said. “I’ve told Matt and I’ve told Murphy – and everybody knows how desperately I want to win – that if they feel they need to develop players, we’re going to do that and make sacrifice for a win here or there. Watching as more of a fan, I don’t see where (Chourio) is going to learn anything at AAA at this point.

“And so if you look for development signs, he let a ball drop (earlier this week) but he also made a sliding catch and kept the game in check shortly thereafter. I’m completely good with being patient with Jackson and, frankly, anyone else Matt wants to. Last year, Brice Turang did a lot of learning at the big league level and look at where he is now.”

What does Attanasio think when considering if the team had a significantly higher payroll?

“Obviously, you’d love the luxury of that,” Attanasio said when asked that question. “But I think we’re forced to maintain a discipline. I don’t know we’d maintain if we had another $100 million. The math is you have 26 roster spots. So as you fill those spots with veterans or any players who’s on a long-term contract, that’s one less opening you have to develop. We’ve believed in all the guys we brought north this year from Maryvale but we’ve had some definite pleasant surprise. Bryan Hudson’s had an unbelievable year. People keep writing, ‘He was on the Dodgers, he was on the Cubs.’ Well those teams have a lot of very high-quality, long-term contracts that are taking those spots. So you don’t get that much opportunity if you’re not as well-known.”

The door isn’t closed on retiring Ryan Braun’s number

The Brewers have retired the numbers of four players in franchise history, all Hall of Famers: Rollie Fingers, Hank Aaron, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

One of the few players without their number retired who merit that discussion is Ryan Braun, who will enter the team’s Walk of Fame this summer. Braun is the franchise home run leader and third all-time in Wins Above Replacement behind only Yount and Molitor, but also carries a controversial legacy due to his suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.

What does Attanasio think of ever retiring Braun’s number?

“We have a whole process on this,” he said. “Ryan, he’s going to be in the Walk of Fame. We have a Wall of Honor, which he’s on. I’d bet (the Walk of Fame) is no more than 25 players and I know we’ve had over 1,000 in uniform, so really it’s just to get to that is extraordinary. Once you’ve made it to the Walk of Fame, (number retirement) I guess the next inquiry for you. Then after that, it’s statue time.”