Cubs make hires, promotions across organization
The Chicago Cubs on Wednesday finalized a number of minor-league and major-league staff positions.
Among the highlights:
• Kyle Evans has been promoted to senior director, player personnel. Evans enters his eighth season with the Cubs. He spent the last two seasons as special assistant to the president and general manager/director of pro scouting. In his new role, Evans will continue to be a decision-maker on all major-league transactions. He will evaluate players both inside and outside the organization for trades and free-agent signings.
• Jeff Greenberg has been promoted to director of pro scouting and baseball operations. Greenberg joined the Cubs in 2012 as a baseball operations intern and was later promoted to assistant to the general manager before the 2015 season. He was promoted to director of baseball operations last year.
• Brad Mills has been hired as assistant director of advance scouting and run prevention. Mills (not the longtime baseball coach) will take over the role previously held by new pitching coach Tommy Hottovy. He will be with the team every day, studying video and working with pitchers and catchers.
• Chris Valaika begins his first season as minor-league hitting coordinator after serving as Class AAA Iowa's assistant hitting coach in 2018. Now in his third year as a coach or coordinator in the Cubs system, Valaika had a 10-year playing career, including parts of four seasons with the Reds (2010-11), Marlins (2013) and the Cubs (2014).
• Jonathan Mota starts his first year as minor-league infield coordinator and his fourth as a coach or coordinator with the organization. Last year he managed the Rookie League Mesa 2 squad following coaching duties with Class A South Bend in 2017.
• Doug Dascenzo is in his fifth year as the organization's minor-league outfield and baserunning coordinator. He played parts of seven seasons in the majors, including five with the Cubs (1988-92).
Thinking spring tickets:
The general sale for single-game tickets to Cubs spring-training games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, begins at 11 a.m. CST Saturday. Fans can secure tickets one day earlier through the online MasterCard presale, beginning Friday at 11 a.m. CST through 11:59 p.m., pending availability. Fans using a MasterCard can purchase single game spring-training tickets in advance of the general on-sale at a 15 percent premium in excess of face value, while fans using other forms of payment may purchase tickets at a 20 percent premium. A limited number of tickets will be made available to each home game for the MasterCard Presale.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.cubs.com, over the phone at 800-THE-CUBS (800-843-2827) or in person beginning Saturday at the Sloan Park ticket office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST. There is a limit of eight tickets per game and a maximum of eight games per order.
The Cubs open their 2019 spring-training home schedule vs. the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, Feb. 23.