6:10pm: Hickey has evidently put pen to paper, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the agreement is “official.”
5:30pm: Chicago is nearing agreement on a deal to bring Jim Hickey aboard as the new pitching coach, Patrick Mooney of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Hickey long served as the Rays’ pitching coach, including a long run with Maddon. He had reportedly drawn interest from quite a few other organizations as well.
12:22pm: The Cubs announced today that they’ve hired former Red Sox coaches Chili Davis and Brian Butterfield to their staff. Davis will take over for hitting coach John Mallee, who will not return to the organization. Butterfield will be the team’s third base coach, replacing Gary Jones. Additionally, the Cubs announced that minor league hitting coordinator Andy Haines will be the team’s new assistant hitting coach, replacing Eric Hinske, who took a job as the Angels’ hitting coach earlier this week.
Davis and Butterfield were both a part of John Farrell’s coaching staff in Boston through the end of the 2017 season, but the Red Sox gave permission to Farrell’s staff to explore other opportunities. Their hiring in Chicago makes them the second and third members of the Red Sox 2017 coaching staff to take new jobs today alone; Carl Willis was named pitching coach of the Indians earlier this morning.
The 57-year-old Davis enjoyed a highly productive 19-year playing career as an outfielder and DH with the Angels, Giants, Yankees, Twins and Royals. He hit .274/.360/.451 with 350 career homers in just under 10,000 MLB plate appearances and won three World Series rings as a player (’91 Twins, ’98-’99 Yankees).
Since hanging up the spikes, Davis has also emerged as a well-regarded hitting coach, first taking the position with the Athletics (2012-14) before joining the Red Sox (2015-17). He drew interest from the Padres in the same role and has also been listed as a speculative managerial candidate at times. While there are many in the Boston organization that deserve some degree of credit, Davis was the primary voice guiding Boston’s rising crop of young bats, including Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts.
The 59-year-old Butterfield will bring more than two decades of coaching experience to the Cubs. He’s previously held various positions with the Yankees, Blue Jays and D-backs, serving as a first base coach, third base coach and bench coach at the Major League level.
Michael Birks
I wonder if they will give Cora a reign in hiring a coaching staff Or if DD will be involved in the process
lesterdnightfly
Or give Cora a rein in hiring, during his reign as manager….
mcdusty31
Maybe he can just make it rain
wiggysf
You all are derainged
Michael Birks
Thank you Mr. Lester will that be all for the homework tonight?
Bert17
DD already said that he told Cora he can hire his own staff. He said that even though the coaches were still under contract and he recommended them to Cora, he gave them permission to look for other jobs because he couldn’t tell them they had jobs to come back to, contract or no contract.
RedSox Fan
Butter is a big loss, you have to wonder who will now replace these coaches.
redsox 1976
Why Theo continue to take all Boston staff??
ChaplinBaseball
Apple Watch stealing signs perhaps?
Pedro Cerrano's Voodoo
A really, really, poor attempt at humor.
Joe Kerr
For one, because of the success they have had, and winning a championship it has clearly worked thus far. Also I am not 100% sure this is all Theo, maybe Joe Maddon is getting his chance to hire his own guys. The only guy Maddon brought in was Dave Martinez, all others were hired before Maddon.
ABCD
Theo: Go get the butter.
gomerhodge71
He likes to pretend he’s still in Boston. Theo probably has 2004 calendars all over his house.
lowtalker1
Butter and Big Mac I like that combo
Come on aj the padres need a hitting coach
wiggysf
Lol. “Butter is a big loss.”
lowtalker1
LOL can be but Davis is An elite hitting coach
Chris Sale Amateur Tailor
Butter is supposedly a very good infield instructor and well liked by the players, and they need s good infield coach to help Devers
BSPORT
I think Chili will be their biggest loss.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Why did the cubs replace Gary Jones he was a great coach. Does chili Davis have any experience coaching?
Sano Smash
Couldn’t be bothered to read beyond the first sentence, huh?
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Let me rephrase he was a likeable coach.
BSPORT
Liked by you or players? If he’s not a good coach either don’t equal wins. I would trust Theo and Chili Davis is a very good hitting coach that Red Sox will miss.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
I Guarantee he’s liked by the cubs players. There isnt a single player on the cubs that his not likeable. The entire roster and staff is likeable. They play the game right. I could see John lackey being hated for his attitude but he wears his emotions on his leave. He’s not afraid to show it.
funkydalilama
have to read articles to understand them.
AidanVega123
Bruh
wrigleywannabe
Did you even read the article?
Aoe3
Brian Butterfield was a legend in Toronto for yrs before he left with Farrell to go to Boston… One of the brightest baseball minds in mlb.
kizzlenut
I can’t believe we let Butterfield go. Unbelievable!!!!!
dynamite drop in monty
I know! He’s such a MEGA BASEBALL GENIUS!
Or at lest that’s what I’ve been told the past five years. Al I’ve really seen is X regress and guys get thrown out a lot.
leprechaun
Now finish the job and replace Maddon with Girardi and Cubs will be good to go
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
He’s not going anywhere anytime soon. He’s a good manager that makes questionable moves…..alot
iceman35pilot
And there it is, the stupidest thing I’ve read all day.
Apparently 3 years of winning 292 games, a Wild Card game, 3 NLDS, an NLCS AND a WORLD SERIES managing the team with the longest championship drought in professional sports history doesn’t give you the benefit of the doubt in the city that’s never satisfied with anything….ever.
wrigleywannabe
Amen….wait, they will tell you in was done in spite of him…watch
Chris Sale Amateur Tailor
??? Giradi has more questionable moves than Maddon. You people keep thinking the manager carousel will fix all the teams problems…
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
No maddon makes alot of questionable moves.
ChiSoxCity
Every manager makes questionable moves. Maddon’s track record speaks for itself—he’s one of the top 5 in the game right now.
ChiSoxCity
Maddon’s won a World Series… with the Cubs. Let that sink in for a minute…
CubsRebsSaints
And they won despite him. He cost them this year
ray_derek
Their horrible offense in the playoffs cost them. Kris Bryant sucking in the playoffs cost them. Get a clue dude, I’m a Cubs fan and you are why I hate Cubs fans. Stop talking.
wrigleywannabe
Questioned by couch managers and reporters who ask things like “How does ti feel to lose?”
ASapsFables
For what it’s worth, Ozzie Guillen won a championship in Chicago in 2005 with a less talented team on the South Side and with a whole lot less drama than Maddon did on the North Side in 2016. In fact, the White Sox 11-1 postseason run was only matched by a great 1999 New York Yankees team since the playoffs expanded to a three-series format in 1995.
JKB 2
Oh here we go with the moron responses and anti Maddon crap
Kayrall
So much this. PREACH!
lesterdnightfly
Here comes the resident All-Things-Cubs troll, Mr. SupposeNik.
Please stick to your “arrows-down” Pale Hosers.
CompanyAssassin
Here it is @wrigleywannabe, I knew it’d be here somewhere.
ASapsFables
A horrible offense that still managed to score the 4th most runs in MLB, trailing only the Rockies in the NL. Of course, we also realize that despite their high run production the Cubs offense was Maddon-ly inconsistent in 2017, typically breaking out with double digit runs in one contest and then going numerous games where they could barely score any. I put much of that on Maddon for his ridiculous lineups that many Cub hitters batting in roles out of their comfort zone.
As I’ve stated on numerous occasions before, their pitching, defense and base running also declined significantly in 2017 as well and I put much of that blame on Maddon and his unorthodox style of managing.
The Cubs were unanimously considered the #1 club in MLB heading into opening day this past season, including among all the sabermetric projection sites like PECOTA, Steamer and ZiPS, and still wound finishing 7th in W-L record and worst among all NL playoff teams with the exception of the second wild card entrant, the Rockies. With 92 wins the Cubs would likely have been a wild card team themselves had they played in any other division besides the NL Central. They did have the fewest victories of any division winning postseason club in 2017.
classicmixup
Its not worth much
CubsRebsSaints
THANK YOU!
ray_derek
Girardi is the king of questionable moves.
ASapsFables
In game strategy is one thing. Ludicrous batting orders are another.
“Genius” Joe Maddon is the undisputed king of questionable lineups!
Kayrall
“The centerfielder must always bat first, the first baseman 3rd, catcher eighth, and the pitcher ninth.”
lesterdnightfly
Ah, Sox fans and their innate envy and sour grapes of anything north of Madison Street.
Cubguy13
Yeah cuz rushing to go to his bullpen who had a 7+ era and 20 something walks in the playoffs had no effect on any of the games. He was so worried that his starters would give up a run in the middle innings that he thought the better idea was to have the bullpen give up 5 instead. I am mostly fine with Maddon EXCEPT his pitching decisions in the playoffs
ASapsFables
How long have you been a Cub fan Lester?
I’ve been one since 1962, along with a fan of the White Sox, something fairly rare in Chicago but much more common before the implementation of regular season interleague play. Back in the day, the Cubs and White Sox never played each other with the exception of a single benefit exhibition game during the regular season on a common day off when both teams were in the city. At that time, neither team faced each other in spring training with the Cubs in Arizona and the White Sox in Sarasota, Florida.
Btw-My brother-in law is of similar age and from the New York/New Jersey area. He continues to root for both the Yankees and Mets while I also have some older friends in LA who are fans of both the Dodgers and Angels.
classicmixup
Who cares
Triteon
Mike Matheny: “Hold my beer…”
wrigleywannabe
Yep, good to go down in the standings.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Very curious who Cora’s guys will be….
Are we going to have a totally virgin coaching staff all around? Not sure who’s connected to Cora and has experience? Maybe he has Bros from his playing days…. wow it sure would be tough to see all brand new guys coaching and none with experience.
everlastingdave
That’d be real weird, especially for a team that expects to win the World Series next year.
jimmyz
His brother Joey was third base and infield coach for the Pirates and managed their AA affiliate for a year. Had previous minor league managing experience too I think.
Jtc96
He will almost definitely be on staff. I’ve heard Alex Cintron too.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
I heard that and thought about that too but I don’t think Alex will hire his brother just yet. Way too much pressure on him alone to bring a family member. It just isn’t the right time for that.
Doug S.
Fan boy fantasy alert…
Alex Cora – Manager
David Ortiz – Hitting Coach
Mike Lowell – 3rd Base Coach
Gabe Kapler – First Base Coach
Jason Varitek – Bench Coach
Pedro Martinez – Pitching Coach
Curt Schilling – Bullpen Coach
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
100% zero coaching experience at the major league level. I don’t see it happening. But I guess it’s possible….
BSPORT
Does that come with bloody sock, buckets of chicken, and beers?
Chris Sale Amateur Tailor
No, it comes with an 86 year world seried drought
thegreatcerealfamine
Chicken-Beer-Apple Watches-topped off by Ped’s
BSPORT
Mike Lowell would be a good guy to get involved somewhere.
Connorsoxfan
Kapler or Lowell would be good a good bench coach for Cora, but maybe not right now. I think the bench coach is going to have to be an experienced guy for now, and once he moves on to another role in a couple years, and Cora has some experience, I’d add Kapler or Lowell.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
So will Cora be fleecing the Astros after they win the Series?
Any names on his list we know about yet?
redsox 1976
Sandy Alomars bench coach or Kapler-! Varitek bullpen !! Roger Clement pitcher coach!! And hitter coach Roberto Alomar!! Mike Lowell 3base and Millar
Im1ofan
I wouldn’t touch Curt Schilling with a bloody sock
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
I did some snooping around and I guess hickey is the lead for the pitching coach. Tampa Bay experience.
I guess the current Bullpen coach will be coming back. He did an outstanding job with our Bullpen this year.
It’s all I’ve got so far. Anyone know anything else?
Priggs89
“I guess the current Bullpen coach will be coming back. He did an outstanding job with our Bullpen this year.”
I hope you aren’t referring to the Cubs. Or maybe you are being sarcastic. I can’t tell.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Sorry I’m kind of taking a Cubs thread and hijacking with Red Sox talk. Sorry.
I heard the Red Sox bullpen coach is coming back.
Priggs89
Ah. That makes more sense.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Well after this update at 5:30 it looks like Hickey is going to the cubs too. Now what?
Mikel Grady
Hope helps cubs sign Cobb in free agency and possible trade for archer. I know it will cost 2 of Baez Happ Russell schwarber almora
wrigleywannabe
Cobb, okay, but Archer, no…You just create two holes that counteract signing the pitcher.
Priggs89
You don’t create two holes if Schwarber is one of the pieces. He shouldn’t be an everyday player anyways.
ASapsFables
Kyle Schwarber is not an everyday player for the Cubs or most NL teams. He would be an everyday player for many AL teams including our White Sox.
Kayrall
So. 255/.338/.565 since he came back from AAA at the beginning of July, a positive UZR (-9 DRS is not good, but there are much worse LG) is not an everyday player?
ABCD
So far, it’s a bad offseason for toothpick-chewing managers and coaches.
stevebaratta
Cards hire Mike Maddox and Twins hire someone else for pitching coach, looks like Joe’s getting his guy.
tim815
Haines is really good at teaching hitting. I saw him spend fifteen minutes one late morning with Jonathan Sierra (a Cubs prospect you’ve likely never heard of) and was sold on his commitment to the game.
Will he get Heyward or Zobrist to hit better? No idea.
Nonetheless, he knows hitting, and seems to be a good teacher.
wrigleywannabe
Zo is just getting old and has never been a 300 type of guy. Heyward is about what sane people expected.
Priggs89
Are you saying that Theo is not a sane person? If there was even a 1% chance he expected Heyward to be this bad, he wouldn’t have handed out that giant contract. He is much worse that what sane people expected.
balisox
Oh my god. I hate theo. Build a new team dude don’t just bring the Red Sox to Chicago. I’m still hurt we let Jon Lester walk and no I have to deal with chilli and butterfield leaving?????
wrigleywannabe
Yeah, because the whole team is from Boston…not
FBA17
Theo loves Boston players and coaches! Lol
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Yep, just not Boston owners. LOL
TennVol
Those are three extremely talented coaches. Butterfield and Hickey are two of the best coaches around. Period. Cubs are really improving their staff greatly.
ASapsFables
The Cubs could have helped solved their major problem of 2016 by firing just one person…”Genius” Joe Maddon. Instead, he’ll surround himself with more lackey’s with the exception of impending FA John. lol
raiders
I don’t consider winning a World Series a major problem. If you mean 2017, Madison can’t make the bullpen throw strikes and not give up home runs which was the bulk of the problem this year.
raiders
**Maddon…damn autocorrect
ASapsFables
The common denominator contributing to the Cubs under-achieving is Maddon with some assistance from the front office. The Cubs were the best team on paper heading into the 2017 season and did not lose that distinction due to unfortunate circumstances such as injury. In fact, the Dodgers and Nationals suffered considerably more health problems than what the Cubs did and still managed to outperform them during the season.
lesterdnightfly
Please stick to your beloved, underachieving, tacky Pale Hosers. Your cheap second-guessing of anything Cubs-related shows a sick level of envy.
mike127
Not second guessing your take on Dodgers and Nats injuries, but Cubs had all five starters in the rotation hit the DL this year, Zo and Heyward had multiple DL stints, Bryant played hurt for a long stretch, Russell missed six weeks, Contreras missed a month…..and they still won 92 games and made the NLCS. Where they were almost significantly injury free in 2016, they were loaded in 2017.
ASapsFables
Kyle Schwarber, who was counted on to be a key left-handed hitting presence in the middle of the Cubs batting order, missed virtually the entire 2016 season and didn’t return until the World Series as a DH/PH.
The Cubs had some injuries in 2017 but few simultaneously and nothing like the losses incurred by the Dodgers and especially the Nationals who lost Adam Eaton for virtually the entire season as well as Trea Turner and Bryce Harper for extended periods.
Maddon had much better roster depth than Dusty Baker in which to cover his injuries. Not many clubs have two Gold Glove quality shortstops like Addison Russell and Javier Baez nor the OF and INF depth to cover the other “nagging” type injuries the Cubs sustained.
Unlike the Nationals, the Cubs also have an ownership and front office willing to go out and assist their manager when injuries or lack of production occur as they did to fortify both the rotation (Jose Quintana), bullpen (Justin Wilson) and catching depth (Alex Avila and Rene Rivera).
Bottom line: Maddon messed up royally, especially in the first half with ludicrous lineups that had a prototypical #5 hitter like Kyle Schwarber batting leadoff and an ideal #2 hitter in Ben Zobrist hitting cleanup. Anthony Rizzo was the only player Maddon had in a perfect spot for most of the season as the Cubs #3 hitter. Most any other manager would have had Kris Bryant following him as the cleanup hitter with Schwarber protecting Bryant at #5. followed by catcher Willson Contreras in the #6-hole. Zobrist should have been the Cubs #2 hitter whenever he started while Jon Jay and Albert Almora split the lead-off role.
Maddon finally got on board with some of this in the second half but even then could never keep any semblance of a regular batting order. He just can’t seem to help himself even when the numbers suggest certain players perform better in specified slots, like Schwarber hitting #5 and Zobrist hitting #2..
ASapsFables
Envious of my co-favorite MLB team? lol
iceman35pilot
I retract my previous comment from its original position and place it here.
Please list specifically how the Cubs could have won the World Series this year had Maddon made different moves.
Then tell me who should be the manager.
ray_derek
No kidding, they’re lucky they got past Washington. Not only was the bullpen a problem, their offense put you to sleep especially guys like Bryant
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
In all reality the cubs should’ve the Nats. Game 2 was just the beginning of the imploding bullpen.
tim815
By playing Game 4 a day earlier.
wrigleywannabe
By not doing every move that did not work. Of course, he would have to have ESP to have known it would not work, but if he is so great he should be able to do that.
Oh, by demanding Theo trade Heyward for Harper and Strass/Max.
Haven’t you listened to the geniuses here?
Djones246890
I honestly don’t understand the hard on some people have with bashing Maddon.
Honestly, since the guy came to the Cubs, he’s reached the NLCS all three times, and one of those times, they one the NLCS, and eventually won the World Series, that year.
I mean, what do you want the f*^king guy to do…..walk on water??
Djones246890
Won the NLCS***, not “one.”
ASapsFables
Maddon’s underachieving with the talent on hand. Any half competent manager could have won the World Series last season and likely with less drama than what he provided.
Maddon’s full of himself and seemingly needs to do things different than any other manager before him. He’s a distraction to the club but manages as if he needs to be the star of the club hardly in need of one in the dugout.
Maddon does not maximize his roster’s productivity, continually putting his players in a position where they are less likely to succeed. His total reliance on sabermetrics is b.s. He constructs lineups regardless of player profiles, experience or fit in an assigned role. It’s like somebody playing fantasy baseball where numbers might be expected regardless of the player and his ability to perform in a particular spot. He continually over-manages his pitching staff and moves players around like they’re chess pieces on a board. It’s little wonder the pitching and defense have suffered as much as the hitting and base running since the 2016 regular season.
iceman35pilot
Translation: he doesn’t manage how you want him to, so you don’t like him. He didn’t win the World Series in the perfect way, so he must be terrible.
Please give me the total number of wins, team avg and era that this lineup should have had, and the manager, GM, and Owner that could have given them this.
Kayrall
PSA: if I recall correctly, Aaron Sapoznik is a white Sox homer that tries to derail cubs’ threads. Any sane 3rd party can take a glance at Maddon’s 3 years with the cubs and correctly judge it for the golden era that it has been.
On the off chance that he’s a Cubs fan, his intention is an attempt to draw other fans into his masochistic cellar in which all other cubs fans had to dwell until the great awakening last year.
lesterdnightfly
Kayrall: you are right. Pale Hoser-fan Aaron reacts to Cubs articles like he was one of Pavlov’s dogs.
Except dogs aren’t envious, petty, and biased.
mike127
I usually don’t try to bash the Sox, but as the troll seems only to bash Maddon and the Cubs, it’s easy to point out in the past three seasons Maddon has won six playoff series (not too bad at 6-3). In the history of their franchise, the White Sox have won five playoff series.
JoeyPankake
While the Giants are busy shifting people around all the best coaches are signing deals.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
Wouldn’t be shocked shocked to see boche fired when the giants suck again. They have 3 hitters Mad bum and Matt Moore and an awful bullpen.
It is an even year so who knows. First things first. Cut their losses with Jeff Samardzija.
Swing Batta
They let Phil Nevins go?
I heard that Victor Rodriguez was interviewing for hitting coach.
Theo pounced on an opportunity. You are right.
vinscully16
Great hires, particularly Butterfield.
Houston We Have A Solution
Was hoping Davis would of been the Padres hitting coach…..well, maybe he will be their next head coach. Seriously though, we need to get a hitting coach to help these young guys coming up.
leprechaun
Maddon manages as if it’s a board game. He wants to be the topic of every game one way or another. He truly believes he is the smartest manger in the game. The guy is brutal with his positioning of players on the field and in the lineup. Without a doubt he also is the absolute worse when handling a pitching staff.
lesterdnightfly
If he’s the “smartest manger”, he’ll be popular in Christmas scenes.
Leprechaun’s post is proof that ignorance shows itself in multiple ways…..
leprechaun
Lester first let me say the spelling mistake was made while riding the elliptical. As for my opinions I’m not a Cub hater but rather a Maddon critic. My opinions are respected by many people in the sports community as I often appear on sports talk radio shows as a guest. I have season tickets to every team in Chicago and share a lower level box for Hawks and Bulls. So let me show you how ignorant I can be. You my friend enjoy watching the games from home,or in the upper level seats while I enjoy being ignorant in my first class accommodations.
gomerhodge71
I like Butterfield the man, but even Willie Mays didn’t get as many runners thrown out at home as Brian did. Fact.
Swing Batta
This yr, without the big bat, Sox were forced to take more chances.
Of the 30 outs at home, 13 were contact plays and 3 were Ran through Stop sign!
Erase those 16 outs and Sox were below avg in outs at home. Fact.
redsoxrob9418
What a loss for Boston
brucewayne
Now Maddon has another fall guy in Hickey to blame when things fall apart next year
iceman35pilot
I know right? Weird they blame the pitching coach for pitchers not making acceptable pitches. Just crazy.