Cubs land pitching-coach target Jim Hickey on day of staff upheaval

A few hours after announcing a major coaching staff shakeup, the Cubs heard from Jim Hickey that their top pitching coach candidate had accepted their offer, sources confirmed Thursday night.

Hickey, who had at least two other offers on the table, chose to reunite with his former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, replacing Chris Bosio as Cubs pitching coach.

The move caps a day in which the Cubs announced three other coaching staff changes:

–Former Athletics and Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis was hired to replace John Mallee as hitting coach;

–Former Boston third-base coach Brian Butterfield was hired to replace Gary Jones in that role for the Cubs;

–And minor-league hitting coordinator Andy Haines was promoted to assistant big-league hitting coach, replacing Eric Hinske, who was hired to be the Angels’ new head hitting coach.

Hickey was the only candidate the Cubs interviewed since firing Bosio on Friday after six successful years as pitching coach. He spent eight seasons as Maddon’s pitching coach with the Rays, then three more there before being fired earlier this month.

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