The Chicago Cubs have some decisions to make this offseason regarding their roster. 

The Cubs have a long list of free agents who could depart in the coming months. Players like Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Matthew Boyd, and Carson Kelly could all be on new teams this winter. 

But before those players hit free agency, the Cubs have other key decisions to make. That involves what to do with last year’s coaching staff. The front office will have to decide whether to retain certain coaches or let them go. 

Here’s the latest update on the Cubs coaching staff for next season. 

The Cubs won't make many changes to their pitching coaching staff for the 2027 season. Both pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and assistant pitching coach Casey Jacobson will be back for next season. 

There was a chance that the Cubs moved on from Hottovy after a disappointing 2026 season on the pitching side. The North Siders ranked near the bottom of the league in pitching WAR. However, much of the blame could be on the rotation injuries. 

Losing Cade Horton for most of the season, not getting Justin Steele back, and having Ben Brown miss the final three months didn’t help. The bullpen also dealt with some injuries, as Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, and Daniel Palencia all missed significant time. 

Hottovy will return in 2027 for his ninth season as the Cubs’ pitching coach. Jacobson will return as the team’s assistant pitching coach for his third season. 

There has been no update on what the Cubs plan to do with hitting coach Dustin Kelly. But Kelly’s job appears safe after Chicago had one of the best offenses in baseball throughout the 2026 season. 

That successful hitting season, though, means that other teams could poach hitting coaches from the Cubs’ organization. That could be the case with assistant hitting coach John Mallee. The New York Mets are reportedly interested in interviewing Mallee for one of their vacant coaching spots. 

Losing Mallee would be somewhat of a big loss for the Cubs. He was instrumental in helping several Cubs hitters last season. Mallee was at the forefront of Dansby Swanson breaking out of his big slump in June, and he worked closely with Pete Crow-Armstrong throughout the year.  

Mallee previously served as the Cubs’ head hitting coach back during the team’s World Series run in 2016. He returned to the organization in 2023 as the Iowa Cubs’ hitting coach, and then was promoted to assistant hitting coach for the Cubs the following season.