Is the front office set up for a transition? How will David Ross do in Year 2 at the helm? 4 questions about Chicago Cubs management heading into 2021.

This is the ninth and final in a series of a position-by-position analyses of the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season.

Here are four questions about the front office and manager.

1. How odd is it for Theo Epstein to be so open about his future as Cubs team president?

Not so odd. Joe Maddon thought 10 years was about the right length for a leader to stay in one spot with one team, and he would have completed his 10th season with the Tampa Bay Rays had he not had an opt-out clause in the event then-general manager Andrew Friedman left.

Maddon initially hoped that would have been the right duration with the Cubs. But shortly after being hired by the Los Angeles Angels, he commented with a smirk that “you go where you’re wanted.”

The seeds for a potential departure for Cubs President Theo Epstein were planted as early as when he signed a five-year extension at the end of the 2016 season. And during his last season with the Boston Red Sox in 2011, Epstein made or supervised moves that put the franchise in good shape when he left.

The Red Sox won the World Series two years later, and Alex Speier’s book “Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Champion From the Ground Up,” documented Epstein’s moves that helped set the franchise up for sustained success.

Epstein made changes in the Cubs’ scouting and player development departments in 2019, sensing it was time to upgrade or change the philosophy in those areas. It also paved the way for an eventual transition, with the major league club seeking more help from within the organization with the eventual inability to retain their potential high-profile players before free agency.

2. Can we assume general manager Jed Hoyer is the successor when Theo Epstein leaves?

All the dots connect to Jed Hoyer, who served two seasons as a GM with San Diego Padres (2010-11) before he joined the Cubs and was reunited with Theo Epstein.

Hoyer is entrenched in all facets and changes in the baseball operations department, so a potential transition should be smooth. Two former staffers who worked with Hoyer in other organizations praised his ability to collect information from other teams, an asset in the competitive nature of the game.

There are several worthy candidates from other teams. But elevating Hoyer will allow Dan Kantrovitz, the vice president of scouting, and Matt Dorey, the director of player development, more time to develop in their roles with a smaller staff because of COVID-19 related layoffs.

3. Why were players gushing about the work of first-year manager David Ross?

The veterans respected David Ross from his days as a former teammate, and he made a quick distinction that he was their manager when it came to making tough decisions.

The bigger tests occurred after the 3 1/4 u00bd-month shutdown, when Ross engrained the importance of staying disciplined in following protocols but also keeping workouts brisk and entertaining, such as holding scrimmages shortly after the first workout.

He also went to bat for his players by contacting Major League Baseball to express his concerns over the delays in COVID-19 test results, which caused workouts to be held later or resulted in players behind held out of workouts until their negative tests were confirmed.

Ross also stuck with a set lineup, which pleased a large majority of players. He leaned on his coaching staff for help, a wise move for a first-year manager, and he fessed up to mistakes, such as keeping reliever Ryan Tepera off the opening-day roster.

Leaning heavily on the more prepared players, such as pitchers Kyle Hendricks, Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, enabled the Cubs to embark on a 13-3 start that provided enough cushion for them to win the National League Central.

Pulling Kyle Schwarber in the third inning of a nationally televised game for a gaffe in left field was a reach — especially after Javier Baez did not sprint out of the box in game at Kansas City six weeks earlier. But under the odd circumstances of health and safety protocols and playing in front of 41,000 empty seats, Ross kept his players unified.

4. How might David Ross change in 2021?

Some of this might depend on who stays. David Ross used 54 different lineups, largely because of injuries to Kris Bryant and the ascent of Ian Happ.

Ross remained extremely patient in keeping Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras in the 2-3-4-5 spots most of the season despite their collective struggles, although Baez slid to the seventh spot in the final two weeks.

Ross argued that, based on his playing days, changing the lineup frequently showed a sign of panic. He learned this from Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox in Atlanta. Unfortunately, Anthony Rizzo didn’t hit like Fred McGriff and Javier Baez hit like Rafael Belliard.

Some fans criticized Ross for calling steal attempts that resulted in third outs. But the lack of offense forced Ross to be creative, with the hope that a stolen base would lead to a two-out single.

His best in-game management was sorting out the cast of relievers he could trust and sticking with them down the stretch. The bullpen is destined for some changes, but at least Ross has more familiarity with many of the relievers expected to return.

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