If the Chicago Cubs decide to go a different direction than David Ross as their manager, here are three former Cubs who could potentially slide into the role of skipper.
Entering Sunday with a record of 33-37, the Chicago Cubs certainly aren't out of the race in the underperforming National League Central. Just 3.0 games back of the rival Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs (and many of the teams in the division outside of the St. Louis Cardinals) are just a hot streak away from climbing to the top of the division.
With that in mind, would the Cubs actually entertain the thought of cutting ties with Ross to bring in another manager?
While Ross wasn't believed to be in the "hot seat" as Memorial Day weekend neared, his team has responded to its slow start in recent games, winning the last five contests heading into Sunday's tilt.
If the Chicago Cubs change direction in the standings and with their manager, here are 3 former Cubs who could take over for David Ross
3. Joe Girardi
A fifth-round draft pick of the Cubs in 1986, Girardi made his debut with the Cubs in 1989 and played seven years for the franchise.
He has all of the Cubs nostalgia needed to take over the dugout, and he has the MLB experience as a manager as well, earning a 1,120-935 record in 14 seasons overseeing the Florida Marlins, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Girardi taking over the team wouldn't be a big surprise, given his past with the Cubs and his managerial resume. While he was let go in Philadelphia when the team needed a spark in 2022, could he now be the spark that ignites Chicago's next postseason chapter?
2. Mark Prior
Mark Prior, now the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched five seasons for the Cubs between 2002-06. He knows what it takes to succeed on the mound, and he's not afraid to share it with anyone, including a future Hall of Famer like Clayton Kershaw.
"I think Mark is just tough, and I really respect that," Kershaw in this article. "Sometimes, it's not easy to deliver a message to somebody that they don't want to hear. But [he'll tell us], 'Quit being soft. Or go get this guy. Or you're not throwing strikes. Or you're not executing.' Like, 'I get you're mad, but fix it.' And I respect that so much."
Prior obviously has the messaging already down for how he might handle things in the clubhouse if he were to get his first-ever MLB managing job by being asked to come back to Wrigley Field. Like Girardi, Prior knows what it takes to play inside the Friendly Confines, but would his lack of managerial experience deter the thought of him taking over for Ross?
Injuries cut his career short with the Cubs, but perhaps he could start the next chapter with the franchise as their manager.
1. Ozzie Timmons
Another candidate on the list who doesn't have MLB managing experience is Timmons, but he brings some interesting qualifications to this list as well.
In an era where everyone wants to figure out how to gain some of the magic from the Tampa Bay Rays, Timmons could provide just that after logging more than a decade with the Rays in a number of roles at the MiLB and MLB levels. He left Tampa Bay prior to the 2022 season to take a role as a hitting coach with the Milwaukee Brewers, so he's familiar with not only the NL Central but also one of Chicago's biggest rivals as well.
During his five-year MLB career, Timmons played the first two of those for the Cubs (1995-96) after being drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 1991 MLB draft.
"Ozzie is a very well-known, experienced coach and a former major-league player," Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said when Timmons was brought on board. "He's had a lot of experience helping the Tampa Bay Rays develop into a really sound and effective offensive unit."
Again, it might not be the top-of-mind managerial candidate for the role, but Timmons has helped develop players into MLB hitters throughout his career. Could he have a positive effect on some of the next generation of Cubs?