Nearly two years after Craig Breslow departed to take over the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs have identified the leader they want to take their pitching infrastructure to the next level.
Tyler Zombro, an increasingly influential figure in Jed Hoyer’s baseball operations department, is being elevated to vice president of pitching, according to team sources briefed on the decision.
Zombro’s promotion may seem aggressive after just one season with the team, his first as a full-time employee in any front office. However, the Washington Nationals pursued Zombro to serve as their major-league pitching coach and offered him the opportunity to impact the entire organization’s pitching department.
Rather than grant permission to interview with the Nationals, the Cubs gave Zombro a bigger title and broader responsibilities.
This move was in motion even before Ryan Otero left to become Breslow’s special assistant in Boston. Otero, the former director of pitching, took the opportunity to work with Breslow again. Breslow had previously extended Otero’s reach with the Cubs, from the research and development department into player development. For now, the Cubs aren’t expected to fill Otero’s role.
Zombro, 31, is a George Mason University graduate who pitched in the Tampa Bay Rays’ minor-league system. He started a training facility that later merged with Tread Athletics, a well-known brand in the baseball industry.
Zombro joined the Cubs last winter as a special assistant to Hoyer, the team president. Zombro was credited for the addition of Brad Keller, who signed a minor-league deal last winter and developed into an elite reliever for a playoff team.
Zombro’s primary focus this past season was on the major-league side, both in player acquisition and coaching, and that role will continue to grow. But his expertise will now also be used more in amateur scouting and player development.
Zombro will have a significant voice in the team’s pitching development. In future offseasons, he will have input on the hiring of minor-league coordinators and coaches.
To maximize collaboration across baseball operations, Zombro is also spearheading changes on the draft side. After seeing some gains under Breslow’s direction, the Cubs have taken a step back with minor-league pitching in recent seasons.
Working with Dan Kantrovitz, who is vice president of scouting and the research and development department, Zombro is trying to refine the draft model to identify high-end pitching talent better. Currently, the system sorely lacks impactful arms beyond top prospect Jaxon Wiggins.