One of the major stories surrounding the Chicago Cubs during this offseason is who the manager will be going forward. While I believe Theo Epstein did the right thing by cutting ties with Dale Sveum, there is still a bit of uncertainty as to who would be the best fit for this young, growing club going forward. Several sources have stated the Cubs are highly interested in a manger who is bilingual, as there are many Latin players coming up on the team and the club believes it will help with the development of guys like Starlin Castro, Javier Baez, and Jorge Soler. Additionally, the Cubs need a manager capable of handling and supporting young talent.
At this point it looks as if former player and Padres bench coach Rick Renteria is currently sitting atop the list of potential managers. Renteria has experience with molding young players in the minor leagues and has a relationship with Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer. Additionally, Renteria is in fact bilingual and coached the Mexican team in the most recent World Baseball Classic Other potential candidates include Tampa Bay Rays bench coach and former Cub Dave Martinez, and former major league managers Manny Acta and A.J. Hinch. Acta and Hinch have a good amount of experience managing MLB teams, and it is hard to overlook the successes Tampa Bay has had in grooming young players into a contending team, which Martinez could bring to Chicago should he get the job. Additionally, the Cubs look to be interested in interviewing Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo but will obviously have to wait to interview him after the World Series.
While it seemed like the Cubs first choice would have been Illinois native Joe Girardi, who ended up resigning with the New York Yankees, the candidates that remain still look promising. Also, its worth noting that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly stated he is unsure if he will return to L.A. next season, citing his frustrations with the perceived lack of confidence by Dodgers ownership. I doubt the Cubs will put effort towards bringing Mattingly over, but you never know.Additionally there have been a few discussions on whether it would be worth it to the Cubs to entertain an offer to Jim Leyland, who just announced he would not be returning to the Detroit Tigers. I don't see Leyland as a good fit going forward with this young and inexperienced team and there is no telling what it would take, if anything, that would pry him out of retirement.
The Cubs need a manager who can focus both on teaching and molding young, raw talent but also work on winning and being consistent for 162 games. Cubs fans have surely took note of the Red Sox "worst to first" turnaround and while the Cubs don't have near the veteran star power on the team, they still must show signs of improvement and competitiveness in 2014. The Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds are unlikely to fade in the near term and it is crucial that the cubs don't fall into the classic "one step forward, two steps back" mantra that the fans know all too well.
Pending any weird happenings, which we know is not unheard of with the Cubs, I expect a manager will be selected before the November 11th MLB general manager meetings. If Renteria is the guy, he better show up with a solid list of short and long term goals, and be prepared to stand up to the uncertainty and challenges next season will throw at the club.
