CHICAGO -- The Cubs apparently aren't wasting any time looking for a new pitching coach and will reportedly interview Jim Hickey on Monday.
On Saturday, the Cubs said they will not exercise the 2018 club option on pitching coach Chris Bosio, who has been on the coaching staff for six seasons.
Hickey, 56, was Joe Maddon's pitching coach in Tampa Bay from 2006 until Maddon left to become the Cubs' manager prior to the 2015 season. Hickey stayed with the Rays, but he and the team mutually agreed to part ways after this season. Hickey has reportedly drawn interest from other teams as well, including the Cardinals and the Giants.
Last week, Maddon was asked about Hickey leaving the Rays and said he was "surprised" by the move.
On Friday, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Maddon would "have every coach back who he wants back."
Epstein indicated he wanted to see changes with the pitchers, saying the high walk rate by the Chicago relievers was "unacceptable."
"Virtually every reliever we had walked more guys this year than they did on average through their career," Epstein said. "It could be a fluke, or there were certain situations where we tried to be too fine or situations where we didn't prioritize getting a strike."
When Maddon took over the Cubs in 2015, he inherited Bosio, 54, on the coaching staff. Under Bosio's guidance, Jacob Arrieta won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015, and Jonathan Lester and Kyle Hendricks finished second and third in the Cy Young voting last year. In 2016, the Cubs' starters led the NL in ERA, and they ranked fourth this year.