David Ross is interested in succeeding Joe Maddon as the Cubs' manager.
The former Chicago catcher, who spent his final two MLB seasons with the club and helped win a World Series in 2016, said he has maintained a close relationship with many players with Chicago.
"I think it's one of the best jobs in baseball," Ross said Sunday on "Baseball Tonight" (via ESPN). "I've got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit.
"The rumors are flattering. It makes you think about a lot of things. I've got a nice job here at ESPN that I enjoy and gives me a lot of free time with my three kids."
Ross, 42, retired after the 2016 season and now works as an analyst for ESPN. When asked if he thinks his close relationship with the players would be a problem if he took on the manager role, Ross said he wouldn't know unless he was in that position.
"You never know until you sit in the manager's seat how hard it really is to have those tough conversations with guys. I'm kind of an open person; when I was teammates with a lot of these guys I shot them straight," Ross said.
"I loved my teammates when I played with them; every team that I played for. But I also try to tell guys the truth in love, and so I think the best managers I have had do that exact same thing — they have great conversations, they communicate, they walk that line between authority and leadership and being a friend as well. I think that's the line you've got to kind of walk with players and you never know until you are in that seat.
"I've got a lot of thinking to do if this gets presented to me as everyone says will happen. I'm sure waiting for that phone call."
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said at a news conference Monday that Ross is on his "broad list of candidates" for the position — "one of many" who will get at least a look during the search.
Current Cubs players said they would love to see Ross return as a manger, with third baseman Kris Bryant saying he would be great in the role.
"I've always looked at Rossy as a coach when he played here," Bryant said. "Yeah, it was goofy, it was fun, it was energetic. But when he needed to tell you something, he let you hear it. From the very get-go, I felt like this guy will be a manager some day for sure."
Added first baseman Anthony Rizzo: "If it was Rossy, I'd obviously sit down; I've talked to him about it before. He's in a really good place now at home with his family and what he's doing and he's happy. The pros and the cons. I mean, he's the biggest mentor in this game other than [Maddon]. Can it work? Yes. But I don't know which direction we are going in."
Maddon, who was the Cubs' manager for the past five seasons, was informed by team president Theo Epstein they would not be renewing his contract after this season. Epstein called it a "win-win" situation, and Maddon seemed happy and at ease to move on from Chicago.
Other possible candidates for the job include Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta; Cubs special assistant Kevin Youkilis; and MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa.