Joe Maddon’s seat has been getting warmer since late last season, with just about everyone around the game assuming that he won’t be brought back when his contract expires. The necessary flip-side of that potential parting of ways is that the Cubs will need to find a new manager, something they’ve reportedly be planning for since at least the start of the 2018 season. They had even reached out to Aaron Boone about a coaching position prior to his selection as the Yankees manager.
Among the shifting group of names that have been mentioned in connection with the Cubs gig, the two most frequent and prominent are David Ross and Joe Girardi.