MLB rumors: Cubs restock front office after Breslow, STL Cardinals trade prospect, Mets against CLE for signing?

MLB Rumors: Cubs make front office hire after losing Craig Breslow

The Chicago Cubs lost an important piece of their front office this offseason when Craig Breslow left for the Boston Red Sox. Breslow played a big role in the Cubs' rebuild and is now going to try and have similar success with the Red Sox.

The Cubs' new hire doesn't quite replace Breslow, but former Houston Astros hitting coach Jason Kanzler should be an impactful addition, being brought in (subscription required) to serve as their new director of player development.

With how well the Astros have done developing their own, particularly when it comes to position players, this is a slam-dunk hire. The Astros are a team built from within, with their homegrown stars leading them to a pair of World Series wins since 2017.

The Cubs are attempting to build from within as well, boasting one of baseball's best farm systems with several of those top prospects nearing MLB debuts. Pete Crow-Armstrong headlines the bunch alongside other position player prospects like Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie, and Michael Busch, and top pitching prospect Cade Horton.

If Kanzler can lead the Cubs to similar success with their homegrown talent as he did with Houston, this is a home run hire, which is important after losing such a big piece in Breslow earlier.