When the Cubs hopped on the opportunity to sign Joe Maddon as their manager back in November, the Tampa Bay Rays thought the whole situation was too good to be true for Chicago. As a result, they asked the MLB to conduct an investigation on the matter.
Maddon possessed an opt-out clause in his contract with the Rays that allowed him to become a free agent if one of the team's top three executives - owner Stuart Sternberg, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman or VP of baseball operations Matt Silverman - were to leave the organization. The clause gave him a two-week window to make such a decision.
In mid-October the Los Angeles Dodgers hired Friedman away from the Rays, which prompted Maddon to exercise his opt-out clause on Oct. 23. In the following days it was speculated Maddon would land with the Cubs, and he eventually agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal with the club on Oct. 29. He was introduced on Nov. 3.
Due to the expedited development, the Rays made a case to the MLB because they believed Maddon opted out of his contract because the Cubs made it known to him they were willing to make an offer if he left Tampa Bay.
The league launched an investigation in November and it finally ended on Wednesday.
"Major League Baseball issued a statement saying it had concluded its tampering investigation regarding Maddon's departure from the Rays and his subsequent hiring as manager of the Cubs. MLB said the investigation produced no finding of a violation of Major League Rule 3(k) on tampering," writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
Rule 3(K) forbids clubs to talk to personnel under contract with another club.
If the Cubs were found guilty of tampering, they likely would have been penalized by having to provide the Rays with some sort of compensation, whether that be money, a draft pick or a player(s). However, Chicago was cleared today and will not face punishment.
The team is off to a 12-7 start under Maddon after dismissing former manager Rick Renteria in the offseason. Renteria spent one season with the team and finished 73-89, but was fired with two years remaining on his contract as the Cubs saw a fortuitous opportunity to hire an experienced manager such as Maddon to take over a young and talented roster.
It was said Maddon sought a contract extension from the Rays following Friedman's departure, but the two sides couldn't agree on a deal, which ultimately resulted in the 61-year-old exercising his opt-out clause.
