Cubs reportedly hire Joe Maddon as manager
In a unique offseason in which the biggest free agent isn’t an active player, former Tampa Bay Rays skipper Joe Maddon reportedly has a deal in place to become the Chicago Cubs manager. Jon Heyman first broke the news via Twitter and it since has been confirmed by Joel Sherman.
A surprising turn of events this past Thursday saw Maddon opt out of his managerial contract with the Rays. Maddon stated that he had an opt-out clause in his contract should General Manager Andrew Friedman leave the organization. That was exactly the case as Maddon shocked the baseball world, leaving the team he just weeks earlier claimed he wanted to be a part of long-term.
Maddon, 60, managed the Rays since 2006 and helped lead the team out of the doldrums of irrelevance to the prominence of the World Series in 2008. In nine years as manager, Maddon guided the organization to a record of 754-705, leading the team to six consecutive winning seasons from 2008-2014 and the teams first winning season and subsequent playoff appearance. But despite Maddon’s ability to guide his teams to winning games, it was the manner in which he did it that set him apart.
Always regarded as the prototypical “player’s manager,” Maddon always demonstrated an immaculate ability to accentuate the strengths of his ballplayers and always get the best out every player on the roster. Also, Maddon’s unorthodox approach during games such as drastic shifts and pesky style of play has earned him respect league wide and put him in a great position to cash in on his past success.
Cashing in was a big part of Joe Maddon’s decision as the former two-time AL Manager of the Year cited financial disagreements in regards to his salary and is reportedly seeking a contract in the range of five years, $25M dollars. A steep price for sure but for a manager like Maddon who has proven he can win and not always with the most talent, the price to pay pales in comparison to the effect a manager like Maddon could have on a team that is actually willing to spend money and field an elite team.
The Cubs have been very serious with their wallets, attempting to sign big name players such as Masahiro Tanaka with their GM Theo Epstein at the helm. Their efforts thus far have gone for naught as every big name player has spurned the Cubs to sign elsewhere. But now, with the addition of Maddon, the Cubs now have the selling point of an elite young core of players including Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant to go along with an elite manager. Just like that, the Cubs are on the path to contention.
Despite Heyman’s initial report and Sherman’s confirmation of the signing, there still has not been a confirmation from either Maddon or MLB and with Game 7 of the World Series tonight, do not expect an official announcement until tomorrow at the earliest.