Joe Maddon‘s departure from the Tampa Bay Rays and subsequent hiring by the Chicago Cubs has been a major point of focus across Major League Baseball lately. With discussions evolving so quickly following Maddon’s unexpected decision to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Rays, there are some within the organization that feel the Cubs tampered with the situation. The team is considering filing a complaint with the Commissioner’s Office.
As ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers reports, however, Maddon and his agent don’t feel that there’s any reason to worry. In fact, Maddon’s agent, Alan Nero, outright denies the allegations in speaking with MLB Network Radio on Sunday:
"Theo Epstein would not have even talked unless he got clearance from the Commissioner’s Office. It’s silly to suggest that [tampering], if they want to pursue that, that’s fine.In my world, if someone in your family has an opportunity to benefit themselves, you give them your blessing and move on. This accusation of tampering is sad and a bit insulting."
Maddon’s contract contained the option to opt out of his deal if Andrew Friedman left the Tampa Bay organization, which he did to pursue a position with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maddon was instantly a hotly pursued commodity on the market, as Nero added. He says they were contacted by 10 teams with front office or broadcasting opportunities. The Cubs, however, were the only team willing to fire their current manager if Maddon could be brought aboard.
Chicago had reportedly been up front with former manager Rick Renteria, meaning his firing on Friday didn’t come as a real surprise. Renteria had spent just one season with the Cubs, having been hired an offseason ago on a three year deal. Highly expected across the game, Renteria is expected to have options regarding his future.
Numerous reports suggest that the Rays are leaning towards filing a tampering complaint, but no official decision seems to have been made so far. If they do, and if the allegations are found to be true, it remains to be seen what kind of penalty the Cubs could be faced witha.