Chicao Cubs' Joe Maddon responsible for Chris Bosio firing?

The fallout from the Chicago Cubs poor showing in the NLCS and the post season, in general, has officially begun. Two days after the team was bounced from the playoffs, it announced it had fired long time pitching coach Chris Bosio.

The development also comes just two days after manager Joe Maddon said he believed the coaching staff was going to be staying intact for the 2018 season.

After answering the question of whether everyone was coming back with “of course” Maddon went on to say “"Listen, the staff's done a great job. Our staff's been awesome. It's a tightly-knit group. Really, there's a lot of synergy involved."

Did the Chicago Cubs defer to Maddon?

The real question now is whether Maddon knew Bosio was on his way out when he made these comments. ESPN is reporting the Chicago Cubs are already looking at naming his replacement. If the rumors are true, the team is looking at former Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey.

Hickey was a coach under Maddon, which makes one wonder whether this choice was his.

Bosio came over to the club when Theo Epstein was named the president of the franchise but he was not someone Maddon was able to choose as a member of his staff. It seemed as though the pair got along just fine despite the fact that Maddon had not been able to have a say whether or not he would be a member.

Bosio has long been credited for helping to make the Cubs' one of the best rotations in the league over the last few years. He's been especially credited for turning around Jake Arrieta's career. When Chicago traded for Arrieta he was a struggling starter with the Baltimore Orioles. Since coming to the NL, he's won a Cy Young and should be able to cash in on a big pay day when he becomes a free agent this offseason.

One Chicago Cubs coach staying who should be going

That the team fired a coach isn't nearly as surprising as it might have been last year. The coach that many expected to be fired is still on the staff for now. John Mallee, the team's hitting coach has come under fire for the offensive struggles of many of the club's top players this season.

Those struggles were magnified this postseason. The team had problems getting runners on and then it had problems driving in those that reached. Of course, the relief staff was the biggest problem this postseason. The number of walks the team gave out often lead to losses. Those struggles are likely at least part of the reason why the Chicago Cubs decided it was time to get rid of Chris Bosio.