Dave Martinez joins Chicago Cubs as new bench coach

Shocker alert … or something like that. Longtime Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, who spent several years as Joe Maddon‘s right-hand man, has reunited with his former boss, assuming the same role with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The move was first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

After Maddon opted out of his contract with the Rays following general manager Andrew Friedman’s departure to assume the role of president of baseball operations with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez was widely viewed as the club’s front-runner to replace Maddon. However, after being named to the initial pool of 10 candidates, the former big league outfielder failed to reach the final stage of interviews. In late November, Martinez announced he was leaving the organization to “pursue other opportunities.” The Tampa Bay Times, among other outlets, detailed the statement the 50-year-old released on Nov. 25 regarding his decision.

"“I informed the Rays this week that I have chosen to move forward and consider other opportunities that may present themselves outside the organization,” he said in a statement. “It was a hard decision that I think is best for myself and the Rays. I want to thank our fans for their overwhelming support. It has meant the world to my family and me. For the past nine years, the players and staff have been an extension of my family and the memories that we have all shared and the relationships that have been built will stay with me forever. I can’t thank them enough for all they have meant to me.”"

As soon as the move was announced, speculation arose that Martinez could be on his way to the Windy City to be Maddon’s bench coach, a role that was previously designated to Brandon Hyde, who will now assume the role of first base coach for the upcoming season.  Martinez, who spent time with the Cubs as a player in the 1990s and in 2000 on a reunion tour, has been Maddon’s right-hand man since 2008 and is widely believed to be a major part of the Rays’ numerous defensive alignments that have since taken baseball by storm. Making him even more attractive to the Cubs is the fact that Martinez is bilingual, which should help the continued development of the countless Latin-born prospects and players on the Chicago roster.

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This is one of the most notable changes to the Cubs’ coaching staff roster, which has been in a state of near-constant flux since the team fired former manager Ricky Renteria upon reaching an agreement with Maddon. With Martinez assuming the role of bench coach and Hyde shifting to first base,

, who was hired in October as the first base coach, will now become an outfield and baserunning instructor for both the major and minor league teams.

The Chicago front office is also familiar with Martinez as he interviewed for the team’s managerial position last offseason, which ultimately went to Renteria.

Martinez came up as an outfielder with the Cubs in 1986 and played there until 1988, then came back to play again for the Cubs in 2000. During his 16-year big league career, he batted .276/.341/.389 with 91 home runs and 580 RBIs.