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Cubs in no hurry to name TV analyst

The Chicago Cubs and their TV partners have no timeline to name a replacement for analyst Bob Brenly, who left to take a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

By Peter Berkes
Jonathan Daniel

The Cubs have no timetable in place to name an analyst for their TV broadcasts, according to ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine. Bob Brenly, who served as the team's color analyst for the past eight seasons, left for the same job with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brenly managed the Diamondbacks from 2001-2004, and won a World Series with the team in 2001.

The Cubs and Brenly had tried to negotiate a four year extension, but talks broke down. MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac and Fox Sports' Eric Karros are both scheduled to interview with the team in the near future.

Part of the reason the process may be slow for the Cubs to name a new color analyst is because the Cubs can opt out of their contract with WGN, which broadcasts 65-70 Cubs games a year, in 2014. That makes it impossible for the contract to be longer than two years. WGN executives are keeping the matter close to their vests:

"We are going through the process in an orderly way along with the Cubs and (Comcast SportsNet)," WGN executive Bob Vorwald said. "Saying anything else about the process is really not beneficial to us or our partners."