Cubs' Renteria makes it clear he wants to stay
Some silence was broken Monday on the Cubs' managerial situation.
That came from the camp of incumbent manager Rick Renteria, whose job status seems in limbo with the team's pursuit of Joe Maddon.
Maddon last Friday opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, making him a free agent.
Renteria, whom the Cubs hired last fall to replace the fired Dale Sveum, is in an awkward and unfair spot.
The Cubs' front office has been understandably quiet since the Maddon news broke. Renteria also was silent, but Monday he issued a statement through agent Ken Solomon.
"I was hired nearly a year ago to be the Chicago Cubs manager," the statement read. "Notwithstanding all the speculation, I continue to focus my off-season preparation on achieving the goal we established from the start: bringing a championship to Chicago."
Solomon added that neither he nor Renteria will have further comment at this time.
Renteria accomplished what the Cubs wanted him to accomplish this year: Set a positive tone in the clubhouse and help young stars Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo to have bounce-back seasons. Both players did so, making the National League all-star team.
The Cubs went from a record of 66-96 in 2013 to 73-89 this past season, and team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer praised Renteria for creating the atmosphere under which the Cubs' young players needed to thrive.
But the Cubs also apparently feel that getting Maddon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so they're in pursuit of the two-time Manager of the Year.
The other ramifications of this fast-moving situation involve the Cubs' coaching staff. The Atlanta Braves announced Monday they had hired Jose Castro as their assistant hitting coach. Castro spent this past season as the Cubs' quality-assurance coach.
Recently, the Cubs hired John Mallee as their hitting coach, with Eric Hinske moving from first-base coach to assistant hitting coach. They also hired former Cub Doug Dascenzo as first-base coach and outfield coach.
Mallee replaced Bill Mueller, who resigned after assistant hitting coach Mike Brumlee was not invited back.
The Cubs think highly of pitching coach Chris Bosio and catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello. Bullpen coach Lester Strode is a longtime organization man.
It could be the Cubs tell Maddon they'd like to keep Bosio and the new hires, leaving him free to bring in his own bench coach and third-base coach.
Or, given how this off-season has gone, all bets could be off.
bmiles@dailyherald.com