Brewers-Pat Murphy Extension Explained: Milwaukee Makes Obvious Choice

When you've never managed a season without winning National League Manager of the Year honors, it's easy to see why your team might want to keep you around.

Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy entered spring training this year with just one season remaining under contract, and it was clear that fact would become a distraction the longer it went on. Quite prudently, the Brewers' brass decided to nip any speculation in the bud.

On Thursday, the Brewers signed Murphy to a three-year extension with a club option for 2028, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal locks in Murphy through at least his age-69 season, and allows the Brewers to pursue a fourth-straight division title with one less distraction.

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Why Murphy was most obvious extension candidate in MLB

Aug 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy looks out from the dug out against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Murphy served as the Brewers' bench coach for nine years under manager Craig Counsell before taking the reins ahead of the 2024 season, which coincided with Counsell ditching his hometown team for the Chicago Cubs.

Though Murphy and Counsell remain close friends, Brewers fans have taken immense pride in Milwaukee taking home both of the last two division titles, and knocking Counsell's Cubs out of the playoffs last year, despite what many viewed as inferior rosters before the season.

That success is a credit to Murphy's ability to push his players' limits without turning them sour. His style has consistently been described as "tough love," and when he's not pushing his players to be better, he's usually cracking jokes.

On the whole, Murphy's two seasons have resulted in a 190-134 regular season record (.586 winning percentage), a 4-8 postseason record, and a trip to last year's National League Championship Series. He's just the third-ever skipper to win Manager of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons (after Bobby Cox and Kevin Cash), and the first to do it in his first two years at the helm.

It's hard to question anything about the decision, and the Brewers just have to feel fortunate they had Murphy around for all those years waiting for his moment.

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