5:57PM: The Cubs have also promoted Ryan Otero to be the team’s new director of pitching, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reports. Otero has worked in the Cubs’ player development and research & development departments since 2018, and he worked as the assistant director of pitching last season under Breslow.
4:15PM: The Cubs have hired Jason Kanzler as their new director of player development, according to reporter Michael Schwab (X link). Kanzler will move to the front office from the dugout, as he has been a member of the Astros coaching staff for the last three seasons.
Jared Banner had previously worked as Chicago’s VP of player development, yet with Banner now promoted to the assistant GM role, it seems as if the Cubs are shuffling some responsibilities within their office. The farm director duties will now be overseen by the 33-year-old Kanzler, who just wrapped up his minor league playing career in 2015.
After three seasons in the Twins’ farm system, Kanzler became a teacher, while also keeping his foot in the door of a baseball career by working as an assistant coach in the Cape Cod League. This led to a job as a minor league hitting coach and coordinator with the Astros beginning prior to the 2019 season, and then a promotion to the big league staff prior to the 2022 campaign. Kanzler worked as a Major League coach in that first season, and then received a more distinct title of assistant hitting coach in 2023.
Chances Wander Franco?
Plays at least 1 inning in MLB
Plays at least 1 inning in another professional league
Never plays a game again
Never plays again
Ask Trevor Bauer
Wander was lost & now he has been found, just toss the key away from him now. Franco will be signed up for ball in the prison league of his choice.
99Captain: Do you know the ages of the accusing girls? Do you know if Wander is actually guilty of anything?
Not all who wander are lost
He is 20-anyone who dates
In high school is dating an underage – so your saying at 18 & 19 he was dating 16 &17 year old girls- get him cheap cubbies
Hey are you really sure? Sounds like you were there too.
Wander Franco is 22, almost 23. The process will play itself out but this probably aint the situation you described.
It’s my understanding it was a 13 year old.
I think he’s probably done but who knows. He didn’t look too worried in the photo he posed for with his new attorneys.
He’s not worried because he has a Bill of sale. As is.
Welp, at least the Cubbies are getting some decent COACHES. If someone can just teach Morell to play first or CF so they can trade 0-14 PCA MY Wife would be happy (she likes PCA so it would make Me happy)
First base…it’s not that hard…tell ‘em Wash..
It’s incredibly hard
What about the fans?
PCA isn’t going anywhere. Cubs got him from the Mets for a couple of months of Javy Baez. The hit tool is in question, but there is zero question about his glove. As for Morel, he has played every position except pitcher and catcher in MLB so far. Problem is, he’s not good at any of those positions except 2nd (but Hoerner is entrenched there).
PCA hasn’t even been tested yet. Give him a minute. Hell, Ryno was o for his first 28 abs when he first came up.
Willy Mays was 0-35 to start his career.
Mario Mendoza was 287-1337 to start his career.
PCA made two catches last year that would make anyone’s highlight reel. He also made a couple of bonehead base running goofs. I also saw a few “fat balls” over the plate that he just swang through. His SO rate at AAA isn’t pretty….Maybe he is just trying to hard. Anyway,I wish the Cubs would use him in a trade piece so he could be an “all star” somewhere else while the Cubs got a #2.
Is Hoerner entrenched there? Really? Hoerner could well be the answer at 3B. I’m sure the Cubs don’t want to move Nico again but what if Counsell asked him to? If the Morel experiment fails I say it’s a possibility. Nobody in the Cubs Organization is saying much of anything. I guess we’ll find out when Spring starts and we see who’s on the roster and who plays where in AZ. But there isn’t a more wrong statement than Hoerner is entrenched there.
Exactly. Move Nico to 3rd and Madrigal (a number 4 overall pick) to 2nd so he can be a 300+ singles hitter. Home runs are a lot more fun when there are runners on base.
Problem is he’d be like Madrigal- who played great there last year- but NO power.
That’s why is perfect at 2nd. Madrigal can hit. Just let him hit singles to his heart content. A two run homer is more valuable than a solo. Only a team needs someone on base first. Power is fun to watch but if it’s only hitting .235 or .240 with no RBIs on the bases it’s just another solo home run. Might make it out of the park for kayak paddlers to net it but it’s only one run.
I was watching the game in Colorado. Radio man Pat Hughes thought it was a gapper. Then he made the catch. Only a hand full of players would’ve been able to make the catch he did. What I love about him being traded for Baez is he hones his defense after Baez and Javy grew up as a CFer.
Madrigal is grindy like Augie Dazscenzo
Pat Hughes was drunk
No doubt about great glove. Good wheels too. But when he got the chance to use the wheels,on the basepath, he made terrible decisions. The pressure on the kid one can only imagine. But 0-14? Ross should have never put him in the lineup down the stretch. Of course it could have been Jed’s call. Who knows? Trade him and let him be an “all star” somewhere else.
He should’ve been playing everyday actually. Especially when Happ was in a major slump .PCA and Horton should be considered among maybe 5 truly untouchable from the cubs farm.
To quote Jesse Ventura, “he’s dug in like an Alabama tick”… The Cubs are not moving the best defensive second baseman in the league for Morel, or anyone else.
I like Morel but unless Nico or Swanson get hurt, he’s only seeing time at second if it’s a scheduled day off.
Morel will most likely be given the opportunity to play third, otherwise he will be a primary dh and utility player.
I’d be open to moving PCA if it was for someone with several years of control left.
I personally believed PCA should have played every game in Colorado and Arizona because both are tricky outfields and Bellinger was playing first base. Tauchman is a capable defender in center but PCA would have been an impact maker during those series.
Crow-Armstrong still has a long way to come with his bat, the question is do the Cubs have him develop it in Chicago or in Iowa.
The only untouchable I have in the Cubs farm is Horton with Ferris being a guy you’d have to pry away.
Madrigal can hit singles at third just as much as he can hit singles at second. Nico isn’t moving off position, especially for an inferior player.
Nico moved “off position” when Dansby showed up. Madrigal at 2nd
No, he didn’t. He’s always been a primary second base/shortstop with second being his best position.
But Nick is not “inferior”. He’s better defensively (Look at what he did when moved to 3rd). Granted, he’s never gonna be a homer machine but HE CAN HIT. As the Cub’s roster now stands Nico solves the “3rd base problem” (DH Wisdom or DFA him if his strikeout rates keep climbing)……The Cubs need a #2 and a 1st baseman. Bieber/Naylor in a PCA package that doesn’t include Horton
Dude, Nico is the best defensive second baseman in the league. Maybe second to Kim so you can stop the nonsense Madrigal is better defensively than Hoerner.
You said Nick was “inferior” . He’s not. Nick’s defensive metrics (I’ll look them up but it’s tiresome) are better than Nico’s. Semien is better defensively if you can imagine that….I think (a dangerous thing) that I am a Madrigal fan and You aren’t. BUT from a current CUBS ROSTER viewpoint I make more sense
Four more DRS one less OAA in 400 more innings.
Based on this CURRENT ROSTER, Nico is a gold glover at second base. Madrigal played gold glove caliber defense at THIRD BASE. Why on earth would the Cubs change that? If Madrigal can hit at second base, he can hit at third base. Leave it the f alone and don’t move players for the sake of moving players.
Btw Nico Hoerner, 5.1 WAR player, led the team, Nick Madrgial 1.2 WAR. Nico out produced Madrigal every step along the way. I don’t know what your definition of inferior is but to me it seems pretty text book that Nico is superior and vastly so.
Hey Mike, this guy says I’m not a Madrigal fan lol.
Drascoo- ROTFLMAO!
PCA’s looking more and more like a #2.
I said I AM a Madrigal fan. DUH
I used to think maybe you were Madrigals agent. Again I’ve got nothing against Madrigal, I just think the Cubs have way better options than him. He’s been passed by so many guys in the Organization it’s not funny. Shaw, Triantos, Vasquez, Rojas. Cubs just have a plethora of infield prospects with way higher upsides. Plus he can’t stay on the field. I’d just rather move him and get on with it but I realize he has bigger fans than myself. I wonder if Counsell will be a fan.
That was for Drascoo BTW.
Ok. The goal posts keep moving here.
I wish Madrigal could stay on the field so we can see if he be that elite hitter everyone thought he was going to be. Every time is seems he gets going, he gets hurt.
I love Madrigal right now as a place holder/bench piece. I don’t care, his contact skills is a weapon and if Ross realized it and utilized it properly, we probably would have made the playoffs last year. Wisdom bunting anyone?
I think Madrigal has more potential than La Stella but I kind view them in the same lens, great guy to use situationally, he’s more than capable at backing up a guy if they get hurt but some team will view him as a starter.
He has a 50 hit tool. I wouldn’t say that’s “in question.” The stabilization point for batting average is 910 at bats. If he’s an every day player, we’re looking at about 1 1/2 years before we have a good idea how he hits.
More like a .150 hit tool. Amirite?
Yeah. That’s about how often you’re right.
Well maybe we get some players that can help this team and not sit her adding management
Does this mean he’s going to help the Cubs players understand how to listen for trash can banging sounds?
Can he play third base?
I hope Kanzler is as good at his job as Breslow was. Breslow knew exactly when to move prospects up or down a level to keep them growing. It was his biggest skill.
With this most recent cubbie off field hire, this most definitely will put them over the top. Watch our free spending dodgers!
Problem with madrigal is he can’t stay on field for any length time. Looks like wisdom with 30 homers; 300 k’s, and 200 batting average is our man at 3rd. Go cubs!
Nick Madrigal is grindy like Ryan Campana and Tony Theriot
You like to see promotions from within, but at the same time, I’m glad the Cubs hired from outside the organization for this position. Fresh perspectives.
Looks like their setting up the chairs on the titanic. So when It hit the Ice Block IE St Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds In 2024. Only a few of them will have jobs after the season
You are absolutely right. Move Madrigal to 2nd and let him be the “singles” hitter he was when he was THE NUMBER 4 draft pick…Hey,someone needs to be on base or it’s just another boring 1 run homer
Sad to see Kanzler leave Hou. He was the coach most frequently credited by the players after times of offensive improvement. Wish him the best with CHC.
Is Ryan Otero related to the former pitcher Dan Otero?
Yes, they are brothers
Stepbrothers
Do Cubs fans miss having Andy Green as bench coach? (Assistant Head Skipper).
SCTV misses having Moe Green as station manager
This is getting out of hand. MLB needs an off-the-field payroll luxury tax as well!
I’m really not worried about third base, first base is our biggest priority.
The Cubs can “get by” with the players they have, Madrigal was one of if not the best defensive third baseman in the league last year (admittedly a relatively small sample size).
Morel has a more prototypical offensive profile for third and he’s very much like Chapman in terms that he swings from his heels every at bat, regardless of count or situation. Get a guy who can pick it first and replace Morel late in the game and you should be fine.
Vazquez is a defensive stud who has recently turned the corner offensively. He could hit his way into the third base mix this spring.
Shaw looks like he will hit well enough to force his way into the third base picture as well. If Madrigal can make throws from third, so can Shaw.
Lastly we have Wisdom who the Cubs apparently think Cousell can use properly. P-Wiz actually hit very well down the stretch for the Cubs, one of the few guys who did. His defense is atrocious anywhere on the field but occasional match ups I think he would be fine.
I think it would be one thing if Chapman was a prototypical middle of the order guy, but he isn’t. We have Morel and Wisdom who are really just like on offense and I don’t want either of them near the middle of the line up. We also, IMO, cannot have two of those types of hitters in the line up at the same time.
If the Cubs were to trade Morel for pitching, we are having a different discussion about Chapman, we can sign a guy like Martinez or Turner to dh and Hoskins at first but unless that happens, Chapman is a non-factor
Jed listening to Jerry Krause? Front offices win championships……..
Cubs made a great decision in keeping Ryan Otero -he and Breslow worked together for years and good to see them having success-they seem to be able mix analytics and baseball sense