CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- With Joe Maddon's exit now in their rearview mirror, the Cubs are looking for a new manager who shares some of Maddon's trademark qualities and can also bring a new sense of urgency and create the change that's needed for a team that missed the playoff this season for the first time since 2014.
"This is now about going forward and what is important for this group at this time," Epstein said at a season-ending press conference at Wrigley Field on Monday. "We had a lot of good individual performances. We had a lot of talent and ability. We should be able to score runs, and the next manager needs to be able to turn that into wins. The goal is for him to be able to make sure the whole is as good or better than the sum of the parts. The next manager will be a success if he can find a way to get the most out of each player. That's an obvious goal. We want to make sure we are reaching them and developing them. It's an organization-wide challenge, not just on the manager."
So what is the new manager being tasked with specifically?
"Cultivating a winning culture behind the scenes," Epstein said. "At this moment in time, we have to pick certain areas of emphasis to reach this group and help us with current challenges. We need to cultivate an environment that helps each player be an absolute best version of himself. The new manager must help foster a team identity."
The Cubs' managerial search has already begun shaping up. Former Cubs catcher and current front office special assistant David Ross will be a candidate, Epstein said. It appears he's the clear favorite. Epstein indicated there will likely be other internal Cubs candidates considered too, with Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta expected to be one of them.
MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa and former Yankees and Marlins manager Joe Girardi are targets for interviews. Astros bench coach Joe Espada is likely to get an interview as well, and Epstein did acknowledge at least one candidate is on the coaching staff of a team that made the playoffs. That can make setting up an interview tricky.
Beyond them, Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens is a wild-card candidate, as those across the game rave about his communication skills and baseball acumen. Epstein wasn't sure if the Cubs' interviews in their managerial search will be made public by the team as the process moves forward.
Ross seems to be the ideal candidate. A member of the Cubs in 2015 and then in 2016 when they won the World Series, he knows the players well and has been around the organization for the past three years. The Cubs sent Ross to scout closer Craig Kimbrel earlier this season before signing him to a three-year, $43-million deal, so they clearly have valued his input.
Ross would have instant credibility with the veteran players, and he can dish out tough love. He was the one who wasn't afraid to confront fiery former Cubs pitcher John Lackey, telling him he expected more at times. He's a former catcher who has the baseball intelligence that the Cubs are seeking in their manager.
The Cubs' attention to detail seemed to wane under Maddon, whose message wasn't resonating at the end like it had before. They were sloppy defensively and on the basepaths.
"There needs to be a better sense of identity and purpose for this group," Epstein said. "We were pretty mistaken-prone. Sloppy mistakes and mental mistakes cannot be tolerated. A sense of grind -- there was a sense that the last two Septembers we would get it done, and we did not. So that will be a challenge for the next manager going forward."
Epstein maintained he and the front office don't want a bigger role in the day-to-day decisions that a manager makes. They want to hire the right individual and have the team respond.
"The front office tries to collect the talent and choose the players and roster -- and if they are smart, they do it with a lot of input by the manager," Epstein said. "If the manager is smart, he will take advantage of the brainpower and scouts that we have in the organization. That is the balance you look for going forward. We are not looking to be anymore hands-on at all."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
