Chicago Cubs: Which first time manager will have the most success?

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David Ross of the Chicago Cubs is one of four first-time managers to debut in Major League Baseball in 2020. Who will have the most success?

A total of eight MLB teams have hired new managers this offseason, including the Chicago Cubs. Four teams hired managers who have previously been a skipper for a big-league club. Joe Girardi of the Philadelphia Phillies, Gabe Kapler of the San Francisco Giants, Mike Matheny of the Kansas City Royals, and former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon of the Los Angeles Angels.

Meanwhile, four of the teams with vacancies decided to go with first-timers. The San Diego Padres hired Jayce Tingler, who was working for the Texas Rangers. The New York Mets went with Carlos Beltran, who was working in the New York Yankees’ front office. The Pittsburgh Pirates chose Minnesota Twins bench coach Derek Shelton.

And as we know, the Chicago Cubs selected David Ross, their former hero from the 2015 and 2016 teams, who has been working both for ESPN and the Cubs’ front office for the past three seasons. Some fans felt that the team should have hired someone with experience, as Girardi was a candidate for the position. Others felt that Ross, because of his familiarity with the organization and knowledge of the game, is the right fit at this time for the Cubs.

Each of the teams that hired a first-time manager is in a different spot regarding their readiness to contend in 2020 and beyond. However, each team, except for the Pirates, has high hopes coming into next year.

So, which first-time skipper is best set up for success in 2020 and beyond? Let’s take a look at each of the four new managers.

Chicago Cubs: Jayce Tingler

The 39-year-old Jayce Tingler takes over a San Diego Padres club looking to change its image in 2020, and that doesn’t end with the fact that the team is going back to brown as their primary color. After years of irrelevance – last making the playoffs in 2006 – the Padres appear primed to take a big step forward next year and possibly contend.

The team let Andy Green go after four seasons, as they were disappointed with the lack of progress under him. San Diego has one of the best farm systems in the game, with lots of talent arriving soon, but there’s already reason to be optimistic at the major league level. Shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. and pitcher Chris Paddack are among the exciting young players already to graduate to the majors.

This isn’t the first offseason that the Padres have been looking to make moves. In 2018, they brought in Eric Hosmer, while last year they brought in Manny Machado, in anticipation that they would be contending soon.

The Padres still have holes to fill, including in their outfield and pitching staff. They figure to be players in the free-agent market this offseason and have been in on big names such as Stephen Strasburg, while they have a deep enough farm system that they can make a trade or two to fill the gaps. They’ve already traded for Zach Davies and Trent Grisham from the Milwaukee Brewers while signing one of the biggest relief names on the market in Drew Pomeranz.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still the class of the National League West, but with the rest of the division coming off a down year, now might be the time for the Padres to challenge the Dodgers. Even if it doesn’t happen this year, Tingler inherits what figures to be a bright future in San Diego.

Chicago Cubs: Carlos Beltran

The 42-year-old Carlos Beltran had a tremendous playing career, collecting 2,725 hits and swatting 435 home runs. He now takes over an exciting situation in Queens after Mickey Callaway was let go after just two seasons.

The New York Mets got off to a rough start in 2019, yet they surprised almost everyone by adding at the trade deadline, trading for Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays. They were able to turn it around and jump into National League Wild Card contention towards the end of the season yet were unable to finish the job.

Even with the anticipated departure of Zack Wheeler, the Mets still have a lot to work within their starting rotation, including Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom. There are also a lot of talented players on offense, including reigning Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso, coming off an incredible 53 home run season.

It’s hard to believe, but just four years ago, the Mets were in the World Series. Whether they currently have enough to hang with the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, or even the Philadelphia Phillies is a question. Still, they have a front office and the resources that will allow them to make the moves to try to contend in 2020 and beyond.

Beltran brings a lot of talent and knowledge of the game to this position. He figures to be a good hire for them, and if he can get the team to play a full season as they did towards the end of this past year, they could be a contender in 2020.

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Derek Shelton

It took a while, with the hire of a new general manager in Ben Cherington, but the Pittsburgh Pirates finally selected a new manager in Derek Shelton. Nothing at all against Shelton, but it’s hard to see him having much success in the foreseeable future with his new team.

With the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs all still trying to contend, along with the anticipated rise of the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates appear to be the only team in the National League Central that doesn’t have much chance of contending in 2020. There isn’t much to work with on the pitching staff, especially now that star closer Felipe Vazquez is facing legal trouble.

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The Pirates would be wise to explore trade possibilities for their standout center fielder Starling Marte, as they could probably get a decent haul of young talent in return for him. There also has been the talk of trading first baseman Josh Bell, coming off a career year, but that doesn’t appear as likely. They also may trade pitcher Chris Archer, though his value has gone down significantly in recent years.

The Pirates’ lineup doesn’t have a lot of thump, but they do have some good hitters. Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman both batted over .300 in 2019, while Adam Frazier and Colin Moran were both solid contributors.

Still, 2020 figures to be a long year in Pittsburgh. Their priority needs to be beefing up the farm system, and it’s hard to say when they’ll be ready to contend again. Shelton has a tall task ahead of him next year.

Chicago Cubs: David Ross

The last time we saw David Ross on a baseball diamond, he was hitting a home run in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in Cleveland. Just three years later, he now becomes the skipper of the team that he already, in a big way, was a leader for in 2015 and 2016. Ross was primarily being groomed for this job when he served as a backup catcher on those two great Chicago Cubs teams.

Cubbies Crib has, of course, spent a lot of time this offseason analyzing the Cubs’ chances for 2020 and what they need to do to continue to contend. After four straight seasons of at least 92 wins and making the playoffs, the team won just 84 in 2019 and missed the postseason tournament. Ross has been brought in to try to keep this team’s contending window alive.

The expectations for the Cubs in 2020 depend a lot on what direction the front office decides to go this offseason, and we’re all still a little unsure of what that will be. Trade rumors have swirled around the likes of Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber. How many of them will be back next year? How will the team try to upgrade without spending a lot of money?

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No matter who is on the roster next year, the front office believes that Ross can hold players accountable – including ones he played alongside just a few years ago. It appears that that was lacking a little towards the end under Joe Maddon. The team should still be able to contend in 2020, though the front office will have to get creative this offseason to set the team up well for long-term success under Ross.

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