Cubs Minor League Catching Coordinator Tim Cossins Leaves to Join Brandon Hyde in Baltimore
Like an extended release capsule of attrition, the Cubs keep losing coaches as the winter rolls along. The latest is minor league field and catching coordinator Tim Cossins, a member of the organization for the last handful of years, who has accepted a position on former bench coach Brandon Hyde’s staff in Baltimore. This probably won’t raise many eyebrows across Cubdom, but Cossins’ loss could be felt below the surface.
Tim Cossins is leaving the Cubs organization to join Brandon Hyde's coaching staff in Baltimore, sources told The Athletic. Cossins has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for the Cubs in player development as the minor-league field/catching coordinator.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 27, 2018
Some will probably wonder why anyone would leave the Cubs for the tire fire the Orioles have been over the last few years, but this is the kind of promotion that’s hard to pass up. Cossins and Hyde grew up about 40 miles apart in Northern California and worked together with the Marlins prior to being reunited with the Cubs. They now get the chance to work together more closely as they attempt to do in Baltimore what they helped to accomplish in Chicago.
Cossins isn’t a familiar name to many Cubs fans, or to baseball fans in general. Heck, the guy doesn’t even merit his own Wikipedia page, which is almost unheard of these days. But like so many others in an organization that features several very public figures, Cossins is a behind-the-scenes guy. Consider him sort of like a minor league version of Mike Borzello, who isn’t quite as incognito these days.
Those who’ve worked with Cossins over the years know how valuable he’s been in the Cubs system, which is why Hyde chose to poach him after being named Orioles manager. This isn’t likely to have any real impact at the MLB level, at least not yet, though it could have some ramifications as the Cubs continue to develop prospects into big leaguers. Of course, the team still has to replace Hyde with a new bench coach, so the domino effect of departures is creating a little extra work this winter.