Last Saturday, the Chicago Cubs fired longtime pitching coach Chris Bosio. Afterward, one name in particular stood out as Bosio's potential successor: former Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey.
It looks like this is a case where the obvious move will come to fruition. That's because the Cubs are reportedly nearing a deal with Hickey to become their new pitching coach:
Source confirms Cubs and Pitching coach Jim Hickey in final stages of finalizing a multi year contract .
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) October 26, 2017
Hickey split with the Rays earlier in the offseason, but he makes sense for a number of reasons. Foremost, he's well-regarded around the league as someone who knows mechanics and understands metrics. Additionally, Hickey's relationship with Joe Maddon dates back to their shared days in the Rays dugout.
None of that means Hickey will have the magic touch with Cubs pitchers -- we'll have to wait and see on that front -- but this is a sensible agreement between two parties that appear to make for a good match on paper.
