NEWSLETTER
So far, the Chicago Cubs’ talented front office has remained mostly unscathed during the executive shuffling season, with high profile openings across the league being filled in other ways. Indeed, the Cubs have actually added a big name in Jared Porter, a rising star with the Red Sox who recently came on board as the Cubs’ new Pro Scouting Director.
There has been one departure, though, as Bruce Levine and Mark Gonzales report that Special Assistant Tim Wilken will be leaving for the Diamondbacks’ front office. You may recall that Wilken was a finalist last year for the D-Backs’ open amateur scouting director position, and, although he didn’t get that job, clearly there was still some mutual affection.
Wilken has been with the Cubs since the pre-Epstein-led front office days, dating back to 2005 when he came over from the Rays (and previously was a long-time executive with the Blue Jays) to lead up the Cubs’ scouting department – both professional and amateur. Those titles eventually passed to Joe Bohringer (now Jared Porter) and Jaron Madison (now Matt Dorey), respectively, when the new front office took over, but the Cubs made sure to hang onto Wilken in a special assistant role, given his scouting prowess.
Fortunately for the Cubs, they’ve got a deep bench in the front office and on the scouting side, so losing Wilken should be manageable. That said, he’s had a ton of success in his career, and having a multitude of voices with different experiences is always a good thing. Best of luck to Wilken with the D-Backs, and hopefully the Cubs are ready to fill the void.
