Cubs announce coaching changes, including parting ways with first base coach
Craig Counsell’s coaching staff will have a fresh look.
The Cubs are parting ways with first base coach Mike Napoli and strength and conditioning coaches Keegan Knoll and Ryan Clausen, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer confirmed Tuesday during his end-of-year press conference.
“Yeah, as far as the strength guys, Keegan and Clausen, those guys worked hard,” Hoyer said. “They did a really good job. I think ultimately, for us, it was about just making sure that we have the right alignment from the top down in the organization, and we felt like that was a place we wanted to go in a different direction, but certainly not a knock on those guys at all.
“They worked incredibly hard and diligently and provided a really good atmosphere, but we just decided it was right to go in a different direction.”
[WATCH: Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s end-of-season press conference]
Additionally, assistant hitting coach Jim Adduci and bullpen coach Darren Holmes will not be brought back, as reported by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
In his first year at the helm with the Cubs, Counsell retained most of the coaches that were already in place, only bringing in bench coach Ryan Flaherty, Holmes and catching coach Mark Strittmatter. Counsell’s hiring last offseason — in early November — led to the decision to retain almost the entirety of the coaching staff that was already in place under David Ross.
“He did come on late, and as a result, didn’t have a chance to really put a staff together,” Hoyer said. “And, obviously, part of hiring a manager like him is giving him the ability to build his staff.”
Napoli joined the Cubs staff in 2020 under former manager David Ross as the quality assurance coach before becoming first base coach in 2022. In addition to his duties at first base, he worked with the team’s baserunners, too.
Holmes spent one year in Chicago after serving as the Orioles’ assistant pitching coach for 3 years. He was the bullpen coach for the Rockies from 2015 to 2019.
Adduci was the Cubs assistant hitting coach for two years and had served two prior years as assistant director, run production.
The Cubs are retaining their remaining coaches, including pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, hitting coach Dustin Kelly, third base coach Willie Harris, assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos, assistant hitting coaches John Mallee and Juan “Pipi” Cabreja, major league coach Jonathan Mota, major league coach, data development and process Alex Smith and bullpen catchers Garrett Lloyd and Erick Castillo.
“I think obviously there’s a lot of teams playing baseball right now, still,” Hoyer said. “I’m sure there’ll be permission asked and things like that, so I can’t say this is our coaching staff for next year for sure, but I think that the people that are here will certainly have the opportunity to come back.”