Today, the Chicago Cubs announced that they’ve promoted Brandon Hyde as the organization’s new Farm Director (technically “Director of Player Development”), replacing Oneri Fleita, who was let go earlier this month.
Hyde, 38, was brought into the organization by the new men in charge last offseason as the Cubs’ new minor league field coordinator. He was a minor league coach of various kinds starting in 2003, after a short playing career, and worked his way up to becoming a bench coach with the Marlins in 2011. Here was what the Cubs had to say about him in their official release back in December when he was first hired:
Brandon Hyde joins the organization as the minor league field coordinator following nine years in the Florida Marlins organization, including his first full season as the major league team’s bench coach in 2011. The 38-year-old was Florida’s minor league field coordinator to begin 2010 before he took over big league bench coach duties on June 23, 2010. Hyde was a minor league coach or manager from 2003-09, managing the Double-A Jacksonville Suns to the Southern League title in 2009. A former catcher and first baseman, Hyde batted .252 with 15 home runs and 101 RBI in 200 minor league games in the Chicago White Sox farm system from 1997-2001. Hyde takes over for Dave Bialas, who was named Triple-A Iowa’s field manager.
Seems clear the Cubs had bigger things in mind for him from the get-go. Good for Hyde, and we’ll see how he does taking over for Fleita. Presumably, his role won’t be quite as broad as was Fleita’s, who also ran the team’s Latin American operations. With a larger front office, and more hands-on types at the top, you can imagine that Hyde might not be as broadly involved as Fleita.
Still, on the player development ladder, he’s the new top dog, reporting directly to Scouting and Player Development Chief Jason McLeod.