Cubs zeroing in on finalists for bullpen coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Cubs are narrowing their list of candidates for bullpen coach to a set of finalists early this week, sources told the Sun-Times.

The full breadth of the Cubs’ search wasn’t clear, but internal candidates who got interviews included minor-league pitching coordinators Casey Jacobson, James Ogden and Carlos Chantres. Assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos is expected to return in the same role next season. In the hierarchy of coaching positions, the Cubs see assistant pitching coach and bullpen coach on the same plane, just with different responsibilities.

General manager Carter Hawkins confirmed at the winter meetings Monday that the remaining members of the Cubs’ 2023 coaching staff are slated to return under new manager Craig Counsell, but he declined to specify the role each coach would take.

‘‘Excited about that,’’ Hawkins said. ‘‘Just doing some things around the fringes, and look forward to announcing that soon.’’

The Sun-Times previously has reported that pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, hitting coach Dustin Kelly and third-base coach Willie Harris will return in the same roles.

The Cubs had four openings on the coaching staff to fill this winter. The team parted ways with bullpen coach Chris Young, who is now with the Mariners as a special-assignment coach and scouting cross-checker, and catching and game-strategy coach Craig Driver after the season.

After the Cubs fired manager David Ross, bench coach Andy Green joined the Mets’ front office, overseeing their player development. Assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington left to become the Angels’ hitting coach.

The open job as assistant hitting coach presents an opportunity for John Mallee, who was the Cubs’ hitting coach in 2015-17 and was Triple-A Iowa’s hitting coach last season, to join the major-league coaching staff in that position. Before the Cubs fired Ross and hired Counsell, they added Mallee to the staff in an unspecified role.

The Cubs hired Ryan Flaherty as bench coach last week.

‘‘He’s able to connect with a lot of different types of players,’’ Hawkins said of Flaherty, noting that he’s the son of college coach Ed Flaherty. ‘‘He understands the game on a lot of different levels. He understands the newer aspects of the game but also can speak to the older, more nuanced aspects of the game.’’

Hawkins and Flaherty played college baseball together at Vanderbilt. After his major-league playing career, Flaherty rose through the Padres’ organization to bench coach last season.

Front-office movement

The Cubs made former vice president of player development Jared Banner’s promotion to assistant GM official. Hawkins said the Cubs will consider internal and external candidates to fill the position of farm director.

‘‘Really excited to have Jared in the opportunity that he’s in,’’ Hawkins said. ‘‘Just an unbelievable teammate, great worker, has experienced a lot of different things through his career.’’

Banner began his front-office career with the Red Sox and oversaw the Mets’ farm system before joining the Cubs as vice president of special projects. He headed the Cubs’ player-development department for the last two years.

Quotable

‘‘Going into this season, it easily could be said any of the teams could have a great year and win the division.’’ — Reds manager David Bell, on the National League Central.