The Chicago Cubs seem to be in a holding pattern in terms of filling the vacancies on Craig Counsell's coaching staff after the team announced the dismissal of first base coach Mike Napoli among others last week.
It's possible that the Cubs are currently eyeing coaches currently with a postseason team and are waiting for their respective seasons to end before making hires.But, as we are now a week removed from the initial firings, it seems that third base coach Willie Harris will return to Counsell's coaching staff in 2025.
For as much as Harris drew the ire of Cubs' fans last season for his questionable sends, metrics suggest that the Cubs were one of the better baserunning teams in Major League Baseball.
It's likely that the Cubs will announce their coaching staff hires next month ahead of the Owners Meetings in San Antonio but one new addition may have already spoiled the news.
Veteran baseball coach Jerry Weinstein announced on Tuesday morning that he is joining the Cubs organization.
As Weinstein mentioned, he has spent the past 18 years with the Colorado Rockies' organization. Weinstein, a member of the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, does have his own website featuring some work he has done in the past including books that he has written in the past about catching development.
Weinstein did not specify the role he will have with Cubs, so it's unclear if he will be a part of Counsell's coaching or have a role that expands through multiplel levels of the organization. With the Rockies, Weinstein mostly was involved in minor-league development. There doesn't appear to be a direct connection between Weinstein and Counsell but the Hall of Famer did have stops in the Cubs' organization previously as a minor-league manager. Chances are that Weinstein will be working heavily with the Cubs' minor league system under his new role.
