Chicago Cubs have made their first firing of the offseason
By Josh Hill
After an abysmal season that might have set the franchise back a few years, the Chicago Cubs have begun an offseason of change.
The Chicago Cubs have a massive offseason of change ahead of them, and the front office is wasting no time in making moves.
A day after the final pitch of the Cubs season, Chicago have move on from its the first of what might be many members of David Ross’ clubhouse. According to FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray, the Cubs are not expected to bring back hitting coach Anthony Iapoce for the 2022 season.
“Anthony Iapoce is not expected to return as Chicago Cubs hitting coach, according to sources familiar with the situation,” Murray reported on Tuesday morning.
This marks the first departure of the offseason, and the first domino to fall in a winter of change on the North Side.
MLB Rumors: Cubs announce first change of offseason
No replacement has been named, but whoever the Cubs turn to will have a tough task ahead of them in crafting a roster of relative unknowns into an offense that can compete in a harsh National League.
It wasn’t Iapoce’s fault the Cubs traded away the core of its World Series roster for pennies on the dollar, but the front office determined he was enough of the problem to move on. Chicago ranked dead-last in the league in strikeout percentage, 29th in At-Bats, and 25th in batting average. The rest of the offensive stats aren’t much better, which makes his departure this offseason less surprising than some of the other moves the Cubs might make.
After jettisoning Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javy Baez at the trade deadline, all eyes are fixed on Willson Contreras and whether or not the last man standing from the Cubs core of fan favorites is going to be making his return to Wrigley in 2022 or if the last of him as been seen on the North Side.