Padres make surprise move that spares Cubs coaching staff from awkward departure

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. As it turns out, neither of those two will be the next manager in San Diego.

In true Padres' fashion, they made an outside-the-box move, announcing Craig Stammen as their next manager. Spending the back half of his playing career with the Padres, Stammen has been working in San Diego's front office since retiring in 2022. A surprising pivot for the Padres, considering Pujols and Flaherty were believed to be the two names being debated the most.

The Chicago Cubs will get to keep Ryan Flaherty for one more season, but his profile will only continue to rise.

The Colorado Rockies are still in search of a new manager, but until they have a general manager, the assumption is that Flaherty won't be involved in that process. The Cubs are spared from needing to look for a bench coach, but that may not be the case next offseason. There could be potential openings with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros. Flaherty figures to be a strong candidate in next year's hiring cycle, and the jobs could be more attractive than what was available this offseason.

Unlike last offseason, the Cubs' Major League coaching staff will remain intact. Considering their defensive performance and success on the base paths, there wasn't really a case to be made for drastic changes. Counsell's influence can be felt through his entire coaching staff, and that was one of the underlying reasons why the team won over 90 games last season.