Rick Renteria, announced as the new Cubs manager Nov. 7, will be fired as manager of the club at an Oct. 1, 2015 press conference, according to a team source.
“It’s consistent with our commitment to develop a long-term strategy,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We said we’ve got a plan and will stick to it, and firing Rick in a couple years is just part of the program, regardless of how many games he wins.
“The front office is confident Rick will take the team in the right direction and that we’ll be ready in 2016 for that next manager to get us over the hump and into the playoffs. Theo [Epstein] already has the list of candidates ready to succeed Rick and will start the interview process soon, and I can tell you there are some big names there.”
Renteria said that knowing the team had scheduled his termination before he was hired was a big factor in his decision to take the Cubs’ job. “I was impressed by their determination to stay the course,” he admitted. “They said they’ve got my back for the next 23 months and I believe it.”
