There have been a ton of rumors surrounding Joe Maddon and the possibility that the recently departed former Tampa Bay Rays manager would become the new Chicago Cubs head man.
According to CBS Sports insider Jon Heyman that is about to become a reality.
joe maddon to become cubs manager. story up soon at @CBSSports
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 29, 2014
Maddon opted out of his contract following a disappointing 2014 season with the Rays. That decision, which surprised the baseball world, was based on the veteran manager wanting to check in on other options. And in reality, the Cubs offered him the best hope for both short and long-term success.
With a stacked farm system and a brilliant front office executive in the form of Theo Epstein, Maddon couldn’t possibly be going to a better situation.
The reported hiring of Maddon by Chicago means that current Cubs manager Rick Renteria is out of a job. He struggled to field a contending team in his only season as the team’s manager. It really is disappointing to see someone who really had no chance to succeed in 2014 get ousted due to circumstances out of his control.
As it is, Maddon will manage one of the best young teams in MLB next season. And that’s going to be something to watch moving forward.
Maddon was 49 games over .500 in nine seasons with the Rays. He led the franchise to its first World Series appearance in 2008 and earned four trips to the postseason during his tenure in Tampa Bay.
Photo: USA Today