The stage was set for the Chicago Cubs to lose Ryan Flaherty this offseason, with Craig Counsell's bench coach a candidate for several managerial openings across Major League Baseball. Most notably, Flaherty was linked to jobs with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Baltimore Orioles. Once the Orioles and Padres found their new managers last week, it looked like the Padres would be the only team keeping Flaherty from returning to the North Side in 2026.
With Flaherty having support within the Padres' front office, there was speculation that he could be the one to replace Mike Shildt instead of Albert Pujols.