Welp. The Cubs are gonna have some more coaching hiring to do.
Hear the #Orioles are closing in on hiring #Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde as their manager.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 12, 2018
#Cubs coach Brandon Hyde will be the #Orioles’ next manager, sources tell The Athletic. First reported as close: @JoelSherman1.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 12, 2018
More when this shakes loose, but the short version is: good for Hyde, who’s been a candidate for managerial positions for years now, but … dang.
The front office will once again have to line up an important coach late in the year, and Maddon will once again have to adjust to a new bench coach. Oy.
As with the pitching coach (Tommy Hottovy), the Cubs could look to just maneuver someone who is already in the organization into the bench coach role for familiarity, but someone will still have to be ported into some role. I’d imagine folks are gonna start chatting about David Ross, but I’m not sure he’s ready to be in this kind of full-time role, and I’m also not sure the Cubs will want those questions over Maddon’s shoulder.
UPDATE: The Orioles aren’t yet ready to say this is official:
Orioles deny reports they've hired Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde as manager https://t.co/2TUVFWSCoY
— Daily Herald (@dailyherald) December 12, 2018