Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon opted out of the final year of his contract on Friday and will not return to the team. Prior to his opt-out it was speculated he would follow Andrew Friedman to the Dodgers, but now the Chicago Cubs are in the mix.
Chicago hired former Boston Red Sox executive Theo Epstein to become the team's president of baseball operations in 2012. Since then, Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been working to rebuild a dismal Cubs franchise, and they now seem to be heading in the right direction. As of right now, the team is built around first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, who are two bright young stars in the MLB.
On top of that, Epstein and the front office have called up prospects Arismendy Alcantara, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, who have shown the ability to produce at the professional level, although they still have some work to do in the offseason. Chicago appears to be on the back end of their rebuilding process as they await the arrival of the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, third baseman Kris Bryant, to join the roster at some point in 2015. They also have 20-year-old Addison Russell in the minors and Epstein said he plans to search for pitching talent outside the organization this offseason.
So does Maddon to Chicago make the most sense right now?
"Maddon is not the manager of the Cubs yet, but in the same way that Hillary Clinton is not a 2016 presidential candidate yet."
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes:
"Though the Minnesota Twins are the only team with an opening, there was immediate speculation that a team would fire its current manager for the chance to hire Maddon, with the Chicago Cubs considered most likely."
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune adds:
"Money is no object for the Cubs. Their pursuit of Yankees manager Joe Girardi last October proved they're willing to pay whatever is necessary for a big name manager."
Based on Maddon's past experience, his potential role with Chicago would be a near-perfect fit. He managed a young and inexperienced Tampa Bay Rays team that began its rebuilding process under Friedman in 2006. Friedman hired Maddon and both remained with the team from 2006 until 2014, leading the Rays to their first postseason appearance (and first World Series appearance) in 2008. They then reached the playoffs three times after that. The two helped the Rays to six consecutive winning seasons before their 77-85 campaign in 2014.
And the Cubs are dealing with a playoff drought of their own. They haven't been to the postseason since 2008 and haven't advanced past the division series since 2003. Oh yeah, and their last World Series victory came in 1908. However, their financial flexibility gives them many options. They can give Maddon and offer he can't refuse and also chase a number of free-agent pitchers in the next two years to round off their roster. The timing couldn't be better. Maddon's previously undisclosed opt-out clause could only be used if Friedman, executive Matt Silverman, or owner Stuart Sternberg left the team.
If the Cubs are all-in, this is their opportunity to pull the trigger and solidify the core of their team. But they'll likely be competing with other clubs, such as the Minnesota Twins (who currently have a managerial vacancy) along with the Philadelphia Phillies (who are rebuilding), the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves (new management), Seattle Mariners and possible more.
All we know is that one of the best managers in baseball is currently available and his services will be heavily sought after.
