The ravages of success. Or something like that.
Another day and another member of the Chicago Cubs organization is headed out the door for a presumably much-deserved promotion:
Mariners have hired former Cubs Minor League pitching coordinator Jim Brower as an assistant coach on their Major League staff.
— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) November 14, 2017
Brower was brought in by the Cubs to replace Derek Johnson as the minor league pitching coordinator before the 2016 season, and you may have noticed the farm system evolve into a much stronger pitching group in that time. A lot of that is because of a shift in draft and IFA strategy (and a depletion on the positional side), but I’ve gotta believe at least some of the credit goes to Brower. Apparently the Mariners think so.
Johnson, by the way, was himself poached for a big league job, taking over as the pitching coach for the Brewers a couple years ago.
Brower heading out leaves the Cubs without BOTH their minor league pitching coordinator and minor league hitting coordinator. The latter post was vacated by Andy Haines, who was promoted to be the assistant hitting coach on Joe Maddon’s staff. These are extremely important positions, and I have no doubt the Cubs will take filling them very seriously. Fortunately, they have become something of a destination organization for many coaches and instructors, and the front office seems to be outstanding at selecting coaching talent.