After Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez officially signs on to be the new manager for the Washington Nationals, the team will need to replace him, and one big-name candidate poured some cold water on the idea of rejoining the club.
That candidate is former Cubs catcher David Ross, whose name has been floated as a possible bench coach since Martinez was offered the Nationals job over the weekend. Ross, who retired after the 2016 season, spent the last year working for ESPN and appearing on “Dancing With the Stars,” but it doesn’t sound like a return to baseball is in the cards just yet.
“Hard to see me jumping back in,” Ross told the Chicago Tribune. “Was a little busy this year and never got real time off.”
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nArguably the best pitching free agent on the market, Arrieta is going to command a big salary when he becomes available. The 2015 Cy Young winner doesn’t have the innings on his arm that most other pitchers of his age do, and he has made it clear that he won’t accept much, if any, of a discount from the Cubs, so it seems unlikely that he will return.
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nThe Cubs were forced to make moves to replace Miguel Montero before the trade deadline, and Avila proved to be a valuable piece, playing strong defense and bringing surprising pop from the catcher’s spot. The team may prefer to use Taylor Davis or Victor Caratini as a back-up to Willson Contreras this season, but it’s possible that they could sign a veteran instead.
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nThe Cubs’ bullpen had some serious issues in 2017, but Davis was far from the problem, as he converted all but one save attempt and was a lockdown reliever for the team. With the struggles of the team’s bullpen in the postseason, it’s possible that Theo Epstein and company could open their checkbooks for Davis, but it seems unlikely given their track record of not shelling out big bucks for bullpen arms.
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nDuensing had a strong season for the Cubs after a rocky start to the campaign, and he’ll be looking to get some extra coin in free agency. It’s unclear at this point if he’ll remain with the team, or if another club will offer him a significant raise, but the Cubs should be interested if he stays within their price range.
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nWith Kyle Schwarber struggling at the plate and Albert Almora struggling to hit against right-handed pitching this season, Jay became a valuable tool for Joe Maddon, batting lead-off and playing center field frequently. The team may opt to go for a more reliable lead-off option for next season, but Jay can’t be ruled out as a possible returning outfielder.
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nAfter a lengthy career, Lackey is likely done as a big league pitcher, but there’s always an outside shot that he could return on a cheap deal. That being said, if he does ride off into the sunset, the Cubs are likely going to be looking to replace two-fifths of their rotation for next season, and it won’t be an interesting task.
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nThe other catcher the Cubs brought in before the playoffs, Rivera was a solid option after being claimed on waivers from the Mets. He could be an attractive buy-low option if the Cubs want to have a veteran backstop behind Contreras.
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nUehara certainly will not command as high a salary next season if he decides to continue pitching for the Cubs after injuries derailed him late in the year. Uehara may choose to retire or play overseas instead, but it seems a reunion with Chicago is unlikely.
There are plenty of other options for the Cubs if Ross isn’t interested, including former Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell, according to reports. Brandon Hyde, currently the Cubs’ first base coach, could also jump back into the role he occupied in the 2014 season when Rick Renteria was managing the team.
