It’s still unknown whether the Chicago Cubs and new manager Joe Maddon will affirmatively seek to bring Dave Martinez into the organization, but he has officially resigned from the Tampa Bay Rays after he was passed over in their managerial search to place Maddon.
His statement on the departure:
I informed the Rays this week that I have chosen to move forward and consider other opportunities that may present themselves outside the organization. It was a hard decision that I think is best for myself and the Rays. I want to thank our fans for their overwhelming support. It has meant the world to my family and me. For the past nine years, the players and staff have been an extension of my family and the memories that we have all shared and the relationships that have been built will stay with me forever. I can’t thank them enough for all they have meant to me.
The Cubs’ coaching staff is believed to be mostly complete at this point, consisting largely of holdovers and the three new coaches the Cubs have brought in since the end of the season – hitting coach John Mallee, first base/outfield coach Doug Dascenzo, and quality assurance coach Henry Blanco. It’s unclear whether third base coach Gary Jones, who came in with Rick Renteria, or bench coach Brandon Hyde, who has had various roles within the organization, will stay in their present roles after the transition to Maddon. It’s possible they will. It’s possible that Martinez could come in and displace one of them. It’s possible that Martinez doesn’t come in and the roles are shifted around anyway.
As far as we know right now, there are a number of possible outcomes here. From my perspective, it would be great to get Martinez into the mix somehow without too dramatically upsetting the infrastructure the Cubs already have in place.
I’d expect, though, that the coaching staff will be finalized before too long.