Levine: Manny Ramirez May Join Cubs' Coaching Staff
By Bruce Levine-
(CBS) Once the top power hitter in baseball, the enigmatic Manny Ramirez will be considered for a hitting coach position with the Cubs next season. Team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein confirmed Tuesday that an assistant hitting coach position is open after deciding to offer Mike Brumley another job in the organization.
Ramirez was a hitting coach/active player for the Cubs at Triple-A Iowa for a good portion of the 2014 season. His primary job was to work on the development -- both physically and mentally -- of the young sluggers who are matriculating through the Cubs' system.
Epstein didn't bring up the Ramirez situation Tuesday, but he also didn't deny the chance of adding the lightning rod personality to the coaching mix.
"Manny has not decided to retire as of yet," said Epstein, who has ties with Ramirez dating back to their days with the Red Sox. "We have a really nice relationship with Manny. He did an outstanding job for the organization this year. We are going to continue to stay in touch, depending on what he wants to do with his career."
At age 44, it's unlikely Ramirez will find a spot on any club's 25-man roster moving forward. The opening of the assistant hitting coach job is a much more important story than what Epstein let on Tuesday. Young sluggers such as Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant will be counted on heavily to produce for the Cubs in 2015. Adding a familiar face who oversaw the players as they had success in the minor leagues makes good sense.
In the case of Baez, his 95 strikeouts in 229 plate appearances (41 percent strikeout rate) was indication enough that an assistant with a power-hitting background would make sense to join hitting coach Bill Mueller next season. Brumley joined the Cubs staff for the first time in 2014 at the behest of Mueller, a close friend.
"I want to wait until he (Ramirez ) is done playing," Epstein said when asked if the addition of Ramirez was possible.
The Cubs feel Ramirez is one of the smartest hitters in the last 30 years. They took a chance bringing him into the organization last summer under heavy media scrutiny. Ramirez was a positive force during his time at Iowa, according to players and coaches alike.
With power hitting being down all across the major league baseball map, Chicago has a chance to be a 200-plus home run team per season going forward. Baez, Soler, Bryant and Anthony Rizzo all have 40-home run potential. The major leagues had only one player hit 40 homers this season (Nelson Cruz of Baltimore), making 2014 the first season in 28 years that only one player hit 40 or more home runs in a single season.
The Cubs finished second in home runs in the National League. On the downside, they also set a franchise record for strikeouts, averaging 9.1 per game. That led the majors.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
