CHICAGO -- Will Venable is leaving the Chicago Cubs' front office to be their first-base coach.
The former major league outfielder was hired last summer as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.
The 35-year-old Venable replaces Brandon Hyde, who has been promoted to bench coach for manager Joe Maddon.
The Cubs also announced Tuesday that they had hired Jim Benedict as a special assistant to baseball operations. Benedict spent the previous two seasons as the vice president for pitching development for the Miami Marlins.