Cubs part ways with pair of coaches
David Ross coaching staff underwent a shakeup.
Bullpen coach Chris Young and game strategy/catching coach Craig Driver will not return to the major league coaching staff next season. The pair joined the organization ahead of the 2020 season.
Bullpen coach Chris Young and game strategy/catching coach Craig Driver will not be returning to Cubs’ staff in 2024.
— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) October 11, 2023
The Cubs reliever corps ranked 13th in baseball with a 3.85 ERA and 16th in WHIP (1.29). Over the last few seasons, the Cubs have excelled at piecing together their bullpen, relying on veterans like David Robertson, Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera and Mychal Givens, among others, to form a backend unit.
They were able to do that in 2023, with Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay locking down the end of games for the Cubs. But the Cubs struggled to develop other relievers beyond that — Michael Fulmer struggled with injuries — with many of their young arms struggling to make an impact at the major-league level.
In Driver’s first season, Willson Contreras was named a Gold Glove finalist, losing to future Cub Tucker Barnhart. The Cubs saw the emergence of prospect Miguel Amaya as a viable backstop moving forward this season.
The Cubs are expected to make a formal announcement on the rest of their coaching staff at a later date.