David Ross lands interesting new job with the Cubs

When one door closes, another one opens.

For David Ross, the 18-year major-league catcher who retired following the Chicago Cubs historic World Series win in November, the door of opportunity opened quickly. On Friday, the Cubs announced that Ross would remain with the organization as a special assistant to baseball operations.

On the surface, that might seem like a throwaway title created as a favor to Ross, or maybe even an excuse to keep around a beloved member of the team and community. But the truth is Ross will bear a lot of responsibility across several platforms as the team described in its press release.

In his new role with the organization, Ross will contribute to all elements within the club’s baseball operations department, including major league operations, player development, pro scouting and work within the front office. He will also assist in evaluating amateur players leading up to the draft among additional responsibilities and opportunities throughout the year.

This continues a trend of the Cubs bringing back or keeping former players in the fold.

Former pitcher Ryan Dempster rejoined the team in 2014 as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. We’ve seen Ryne Sandberg become more active with the club, with the door seemingly open for a bigger role. Now Ross has been given an opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn from one of the best front office staffs in sports.

It’s certainly a fun development, but it’s far from surprising. When Ross announced 2016 would be his final season as a player, most suspected he’d remain in the game in some form or fashion. That he decided to accept this role so quickly might indicate he has pretty big plans.

The path he’s aiming to take is not immediately clear, but he could presumably be groomed for several roles. Some suspect he’ll end up managing down the road. If that’s the case, he could certainly do worse than picking Joe Maddon’s brain.

In the end, it’s a great opportunity for everyone involved. For Ross, it’s a chance to learn. For the Cubs, it’s a chance to perhaps groom a future executive. For his former teammates and the fans, it’s a chance to continue enjoying one of the game’s great personalities. Everyone has a chance to win this one.