Baseball ops taking shape as Cubs name new directors of player development, pitching

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The Cubs haven’t made any major-league player acquisitions this offseason, but they have made several front office moves. File photo.The Cubs are putting the finishing touches on their adjusted baseball operations structure, hiring former Astros assistant hitting coach Jason Kanzler as director of player development and promoting Ryan Otero to director of pitching, sources confirmed Monday.

Kanzler has spent the last five years with the Astros, serving as a minor-league hitting coach and coordinator for the first three, and as a member of Dusty Baker’s major-league staff the next two. Baker announced his retirement after the 2023 season.

Otero has risen in the Cubs organization over…