The structure of the Cubs’ pitching coach staff is coming into focus entering manager Craig Counsell’s second year on the job.
Assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos is leaving after three seasons in Chicago to take the Marlins’ open pitching coach job, and the Cubs are promoting Casey Jacobson from senior coordinator of pitching development to the major-league staff, a source confirmed Friday.
Jacobson is expected to step into Moskos’ vacated role, and field coordinator Mark Strittmatter is in line to become the Cubs’ bullpen coach. The team has not yet made those moves official.
Jacobson has served as a minor-league pitching coordinator for the past five seasons, helping the organization turn around their reputation for developing pitching. He comes to the job with a working relationship already in place with many of the pitchers on the major-league roster.
The team has also emphasized collaboration throughout their pitching infrastructure, making sure their messaging is cohesive from the farm system through the majors.
Before joining the Cubs, Jacobson was an instructor at Driveline Baseball, an organization whose training system is credited with pushing the industry into a more data-driven approach. Jacobson, who holds a physics degree from Augustana University, also coached at the college level.
For Counsell to finalize his coaching staff, he still needs to name a first base coach. Along with bullpen coach Darren Holmes, first base coach Mike Napoli was among those the team decided not to bring back for the 2025 season. Third base coach Willie Harris and the Cubs also parted ways when they reached an impasse in contract negotiations, and the Cubs hired former Brewers first-base coach Quintin Berry in that role.
