CHICAGO -- The Cubs announced Jim Hickey as the pitching coach Tuesday and named Will Venable first-base coach, replacing Brandon Hyde, who is switching to the dugout to be manager Joe Maddon's bench coach.
The Cubs also announced they have hired Jim Benedict as special assistant to baseball operations.
A Chicago native, Hickey, 56, will begin his 15th season as a Major League pitching coach in 2018, having spent the last 11 years with the Rays, including eight with Maddon. Hickey replaces Chris Bosio, who was dismissed and is now the pitching coach with the Tigers.
Venable, 35, retired last summer after a nine-year career and joined the Cubs' front office as special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. Venable batted .249 with 81 home runs and 307 RBIs in 967 big league contests with the Padres (2008-15), Rangers (2015) and Dodgers (2016).
The former outfielder's best years were with the Padres from 2010-13, when he ranked among the National League leaders in triples and stole 20 or more bases in each of those seasons. He was voted the Padres' Most Valuable Player for the 2013 season when he became the eighth player in franchise history to record at least 20 home runs and 20 steals in a single season.
Hyde, 44, joined the Cubs in 2012 as the Minor League field coordinator and was named the Cubs' bench coach in 2014. He shifted to first-base coach prior to the 2015 season. Hyde also served as bench coach for the Marlins from 2010-11. Hyde replaces Dave Martinez, who left to become the Nationals' new manager.
Benedict, 56, joins the Cubs after spending the last two seasons as vice president, pitching development for the Marlins. He spent the previous seven seasons in the Pirates organization in a variety of roles, including Minor League pitching coordinator and special assistant to the general manager. He has also served as a Major League scout with the Indians (2007-08) and as a pro scout with the Yankees (2001-06).