Cubs Hire Ex-Phillies Pitching Coach Chris Young as New Bullpen Coach
By Jerry Trotta
The Chicago Cubs have made sweeping changes to their coaching staff this offseason, and took the next step in finalizing that narrative on Thursday morning.
It was announced on Wednesday that Lester Strode, who has served as the club's bullpen coach since 2007, will not serve in that capacity come 2020. Instead, the Cubs have offered him an undisclosed role with the organization.
Well, it didn't take long for general manager Theo Epstein to find a replacement, which suggests he had one in mind all along. Per The Athletic, Chicago is hiring former Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Chris Young as their new bullpen coach.
Former Phillies pitching coach Chris Young will be the Cubs next bullpen coach. Before getting an in-uniform job with Philly, Young was a pro scout with the Astros and Padres.
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) November 7, 2019
It's unclear if Strode was asked to step down, or if new skipper David Ross just wanted to insert a bit of change after an underwhelming campaign, but Chicago's bullpen, despite its reputation, wasn't all that bad in 2019.
In fact, they were one of the best bunches in all of baseball, as they ranked eighth in the entire MLB in terms of ERA with a 3.98 mark.
The Cubs have parted ways with longtime bullpen coach Lester Strode after 31 years in the organization.
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) November 6, 2019
Strode was the longest-tenured coach on the Cubs staff, having served as bullpen coach for the last 13 years.https://t.co/gaV8GaSiVQ
If the inception stages of Ross' era as the Cubbies manager has taught us anything, it's that nobody is safe.
Whatever the case, Epstein and Rossy seems to agree upon the notion that Young, who has previously served as a scout for the Padres and Astros, is the right man for the job.