President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has admitted that other MLB organizations have surpassed his team in some critical areas due to what he called the "winner's trap" of failing to adapt and evolve sufficiently, because everything seemed to work just fine. With that understood, he and general manager Jed Hoyer now have the luxury of spending hours upon hours getting a peek behind some other curtains to see how new magic is done.
Their buddy Ross can't teach them much they don't know at this point, and the same goes for current Cubs coaches Mark Loretta and Will Venable. Joe Girardi has his own well-honed sensibilities from so many successful seasons of experience but hasn't been connected to a team's specific business for two years -- an eternity already for a sport changing as quickly as it has been.
Espada is the well-regarded Astros bench coach, and just being affiliated with them is meaningful. The Astros have been at the forefront of creative talent development and innovative thinking regarding both hitters and pitchers. To use the idiom from the book "The MVP Machine" that chronicles their rise to power, they turn mules into racehorses and racehorses into champions. They trade for mid-roster or end-of-roster "guys" who become high-leverage contributors, while their own stars seem to improve their existing formidable skills through the application of diagnostics and data.
In any conversations with Espada, the Cubs will have access to valuable insight into tactics and approach that they would otherwise be unable to learn so directly. It's not tampering or corporate spying in this specific context, just solid due diligence allowed as they look to fill the position.
And that's how all this time talking to outsiders can help get the Cubs closer to winning a World Series, despite what many believe is the fait accompli of Ross' ascendance. Some open ears and open minds to the ideas of other franchises beyond just managerial specifics might benefit a Cubs braintrust searching for positive change.