Ryan Flaherty’s managerial dream stalls as Cubs' coaching staff sees slight change

Suddenly, it seems that Ryan Flaherty may be returning to Craig Counsell's coaching staff with the Chicago Cubs. Flaherty entered the offseason as one of the top candidates for several managerial openings, and as of this weekend, was a reported finalist to be the next Minnesota Twins' manager. The Twins hired Derek Shelton on Wednesday, and it doesn't appear that Flaherty is a finalist for the San Diego Padres' opening.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Padres have entered the finalist stage of their search, naming Albert Pujols, Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, and Texas Rangers' special assistant Nick Hundley as specific candidates. Acee did mention that there could be an unnamed fourth finalist, potentially Flaherty, but it doesn't speak to his chances of getting the job.

Flaherty getting passed over for the Twins' job and likely not the top candidate with the Padres comes only a few days after the Baltimore Orioles named Craig Albernaz their next manager. As was the case with the Padres, Flaherty was believed to be a strong candidate in Baltimore, considering he spent most of his playing days with the Orioles.

Ryan Flaherty may be sticking around with managerial vacancies quickly filling up.

The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies still have managerial openings, but each of those jobs wouldn't be an ideal situation. If Flaherty waits until after the 2026 season, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros could all be looking for a new manager. Compared to two of the worst teams in baseball, either of those three jobs may be worth the wait.

After the Cubs were eliminated by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, Jed Hoyer confirmed that most of Counsell's entire coaching staff would be welcomed back for the 2026 season. If Flaherty is indeed snubbed during this offseason's hiring cycle, it is one less to-do item for the Cubs once the World Series ends.

There has been a slight change, however, to Counsell's staff. The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma report that Alex Smith will be leaving the Cubs to become the vice president of baseball strategy for the Detroit Tigers. Smith has been with the Cubs since 2015 and was involved in the team's data development and information sharing.