12:29pm: Maddon’s agent, Alan Nero, tells Topkin (Twitter link) that he expects Maddon will manage a team in 2015. Friedman tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) that his new team, the Dodgers, will not be among the suitors regardless of Maddon’s newfound availability.
On Tampa’s end, team president Matt Silverman says that the team will pursue a full search for a replacement, considering internal and external candidates, per Topkin (via Twitter).
11:27am: Rays manager Joe Maddon has opted out of his contract with the Rays and will be leaving the team, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. The move comes as a major surprise, as Maddon had said recently that he expected to remain in Tampa.
Maddon represents the second key departure to hit the Rays in recent weeks, as the team lost long-time GM Andrew Friedman to the Dodgers. Indeed, the opt-out clause vested with Friedman’s departure, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
Speculation immediately began that Maddon could follow Friedman to Los Angeles, though all involved shot that down quickly. Indeed, the Dodgers have stated publicly that they intend to keep skipper Don Mattingly in place heading into 2015. The only open managerial seat at present is the Twins’, though Minnesota appears to be well down the line in its search.
In a statement confirming the news, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg says that the club “tried diligently and aggressively to sign [Maddon] to a third contract extension prior to his decision.” Sternberg added that Maddon, whose deal ran through 2015, has “enabled himself to explore opportunities throughout Major League Baseball.”
Maddon had been at the helm of the Rays for nine seasons, during which he established a reputation as one of the game’s most innovative and forward-thinking skippers. After two years in the basement, Maddon helped to oversee a stunning rise to prominence in Tampa. He ran the dugout for two AL East crowns and four total postseason appearances.
Despite that run of success, Maddon tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (links to Twitter) that a combination of financial disagreement and his own curiosity to seek out a new opportunity led to the move. Though a new deal was discussed, Maddon says that the sides “were still too far apart.” Maddon says he hopes to manage next year but has nothing set up at this point.
Better start filling out that resume, Mattingly…
I’d gladly take him as the Yankees hitting coach.
This is the most Yankees fan thing I’ve read in months. Maddon > Girardi by leaps and bounds.
He means Don Mattingly would be a good hitting coach.
Try reading it again.
As a long-time Yankee hater, I’ve got a lot of respect for Girardi as a manager. As a person I think he’s a crybaby and a coward, but as a manager I think he’s done a good job with a half-AAA roster the past few years.
Welcome to LA
Wow.
Dodgers
Madden to the Dodgers in 3, 2 , 1………
Warby Parker glasses has three showrooms in LA, Joe. Celebrate your new job with some new specs!
“Après moi, le déluge.” – Andrew Friedman
Welcome to the Dodgers?! Amazing move for the Blue, if it happens.
Tigers!
Can’t fault Ausmus for the terrible bullpen.
I agree but Ausmus didn’t carry himself in the best way. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Tigers go after Maddon because he is more polished than Ausmus.
if the Tigers wanted a polished manager why hire a rookie one? Ausmus will be the Tigers manager in 2015
No, but you can fault him for not calling for the bunt to move a runner into scoring position. You can fault him for pulling pitchers while they’re still pitching good.
So any manager who makes a mistake or 2 in the playoffs should be on the hot seat? Yost and Bochy also have made some mistakes themselves
Predict he takes a year off to make big money as an analyst, then lets teams bid on him next offseason.
This is…actually pretty conceivable.
Hopefully Detroit fires Brad Ausmus by then.
so long Robin – Make it happen Reinsdorf
He’s way to loyal to his people to ever pull a move like that, Guillen wore the welcome mat to shreds and was still there.
Braves get on it! Make that call to Fredi, then the next one to Maddon. TODAY!
You call Maddon first, you dont fire Fredi then find out Maddon isnt interested because he’s going to LA.
They can fire Fredi first, no big loss there.
True! I still want Fredi to get that call though…
Best possible situations ranked from best to worst in my opinion:
1) Maddon is hired, Fredi is fired
2) Maddon is not hired, Fredi is fired
3) Fredi is kept on.
If the Dodgers really are sticking with Mattingly next year like the said; the Twins are the only team looking for a manager right now
The Mets could easily fire Terry Collins. Nobody with any long term vision has any thoughts that he is the man for the job for any length of time and he only has one year left on the contract. The Mets team is currently constructed somewhat similar to what he was used to in St. Pete (pitching and defense). The farm is in better shape than St. Pete’s as well. The biggest difference between the two organizations right now that once the team starts winning, Mets fans DO actually come to the game, which will increase their ability to spend money and increase payroll.
Am I saying it will happen? Obviously not. I think he’s going to the Dodgers this year or next year. But I wouldn’t put it in the realm of the impossible either, just because the sign says no vacancy. Maddon is one guy where that sign doesn’t apply.
Jeff says no but we can only hope somebody wasn’t listening. They could just reassign TC to a different position. They may need to trade Niese, Murph and Colon to clear some salary space though.
Dodgers are the obvious choice but I wonder if the Twins might be appealing? They have some real young talent coming up in Sano, Buxton, Meyer, May, Santana etc…
Hmmm, LA weather or…. ah never mind.
I did say they were the “obvious choice” …
Come on Mozeliak! You don’t even have to fire Matheny, he can just be friends with the players since that seems to be the only thing he brings to the team.
I like this idea, Matheny can be given the role of like Motivational Leadership Coach. Not sure Matheny would, but who asked him.
I think a LOT of “almost but not quite” managers better call their agents.
Philadelphia
Would be the last place he would want to go
Ruben Amaro signed Joe Maddon… to play Third Base.
If I were Maddon, I’d never want to work for a GM that keeps resigning his veterans and wonders why the team only gets 70 wins a year. The team needs rebuilding and I doubt Maddon wants to be apart of something like that.
He’s from the area. Phils are looking like they’re about to unload EVERYONE. Just saying…
To me Philadelphia is 5 years and an awesome new GM away from being an interesting team. I know Joe Maddon worked with a small payroll with little talent, but it’s harder to motivate a large payroll with even less talent.
Cool, so youll still have a 200 million dollar payroll with no players instead of terrible players.
Well that escalated quickly.
Chicago Cubs?
That team is going to be amazing soon and Maddon will get a lot of the credit just like he did with the young Tampa Bay Rays when the top talent they have starts playing well.
I’d love to have him, but I don’t see the Cubs firing/removing Renteria after one season with fairly positive developmental steps.
That place on the Cubs coaching staff has been a revolving door the past 5 years essentially…why stop it now when you can get a great manager like Maddon?
As a fan, I don’t care if it happens. I’d love to have Maddon.
For the organization, they likely don’t want to set a precedent of firing people who do good work for them. It’s not exactly a great way to attract and retain those kinds of people, who will always find themselves in high demand.
The overlooked factor here is Theo who has seen plenty of Maddon and I guarantee is thinking about how to lure him to Chicago asap.
Jed Hoyer has hired Renteria twice in six years. I think he likes what the guy brings.
Reports tell me cubs are the favorites currently
Reports have the Cubs as the favorites currently
Can’t get rid of Rickie yet. He’s a great guy had two guys bounce back that regressed the year before with him and he is bilingual, which is great for the Cubs since they have a lot of international players. I would love to have Maddon on that staff though just in case
As much as I love Joe Maddon as a manager, I think the progression of the Rizzo and resurgence of Castro makes Renteria the best candidate
Totally agree, and he might help bring in pitchers like Shields and Price.
Despite everybody’s fail attempts to say otherwise there is absolutely no doubt he will end up in LA
Welcome to Californi-a Mr Maddon…
Did any of you read the post? It says he’s not going to the Dodgers.
Maddon also said he wasn’t leaving…. and then that happened.
Very true. It is possible. I was just going off what the post said lol
Yeah and Nick Saban (when with the Miami Dolphins) said repeadtely he would not be the next coach at Alabama. Oops.
If a sports team straight up denies that a personnel move will happen, there’s a good chance that they’re in negotiations and don’t want to say that it actually probably will happen because that could jeopardize the negotiations. It happens all the time.
Well it would be horrible from a PR and personal standpoint for them to say “we are highly considering hiring Maddon and firing Mattingly”. Don’t you think? Obviously they are going to come out and say that they already have a manager under contract but it doesn’t mean they are not considering Maddon!
MLB has to move the Rays out of Tampa its just not fair to the franchise
Isn’t the team technically located in St. Petersburg, not Tampa proper, and this is part of the issue?
Yes they are in St. Pete and they have claimed that’s part of the issue, but there just isn’t a Central Florida fan base to support the team.
There isn’t a FLORIDA fan base, let alone a central, south or deep south North.
The only problems is this… Where should they go instead?
The only places I can think of as an improvement would be New Orleans or Charolette, North Carolina.
New Orleans wouldn’t support a baseball team. North Carolina, Nashville, San Antonio. Cities with fan bases that already support their current teams and cities with fortune 500 companies that will buy season tickets.
Havana Cuba?
I don’t believe any of those cities would support a team over an 81 game home schedule. They are borderline NHL markets.
I read a study that stated there were only four logical markets left.. And each had issues.
1. A third team in the LA area
2. A third team in the NY/NJ market
3. Montreal
4. Portland
Of those I believe it was stated that Montreal was the best market….basically because a third NY/NJ team is not likely.
Unless they reconfigure the divisions, it’d have to be somewhere east (or at least relatively east)… And they just evened the divisions out, finally, so I’d say Montreal (in this fantasy) is the best option.
I believe baseball is working toward eliminating the division format. I look for them to eliminate it and balance the schedule at some point.
Wow, so just one big…blob… of a league? I like having divisions, especially the way they are currently aligned.
I like divisions too…but baseball doesn’t have a balanced schedule.
I doubt one “blob” but probably similar to the NBA, American League and National League with a balanced schedule.
Radical realignment is another option…traditionalists oppose it..but often they don’t comprehend it’s history in baseball. With interleague the leagues are basically moot now anyway. Go with four regional leagues. Imagine the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and Phils all going at it for a title.
Huh. That’d be interesting, no doubt. I think some areas would work better than others, though. Of course, there’s the whole DH/No DH can of worms and if the pitcher ain’t batting, I’m not as happy.
DH would need to be dealt with. I’m surprised ownership wants it…that’s often a high paid roster spot that in the NL would go to a cheaper bench or bullpen arm.
Wouldn’t be much worse for some teams than present…I’m not sure Texas or Houston especially are connected to the AL West…lots of road games now starting at 9:05 Central
Yeah, it’s teams like the Mariners…Rockies… As I’m realigning things into geographical pockets in my head, I just can’t seem to get it “just right.” And, while my brain is just riffing, I think if this hypothetical drastic realignment happens, they’d throw a bone to the traditionalists (myself, to an extent) and eliminate the DH.
I follow the Brewers, so I was imagining a new division with MKE, CHW, CHC, MN … aaaand…KC/STL? I was sort of lumping them in with the TX/AZ/HOU group… and CLE was in something with PIT/ATL… but I’d prefer PIT & PHI to be in the same division…
There goes my afternoon.
Ha. Yeah…there would be some choices to make. I could see it being possible by adding a team or two.. Not that it’s likely. I’m thinking. East, Midwest, South, and West
Correct….Yankees and Mets will not allow a third team in the market.
Charlotte could be a very reasonable option. They sold out almost every Triple A game and averaged just under 10,000 for 71 games (highest in the league). Given AAA is just for fun and family with no real drive for fan competition. I think an MLB would make it given CLT had 3-5 years for the planned move. There’s also a large pull from many other medium sized metropolitan areas that don’t have a team to pull for. Durham’s AAA team does very well too. Add those two Minor league teams together and you’re already beating Tampa’s numbers.
Maybe…but a AAA market and MLB market are two different species. MLB would demand a marketing/TV level that the area has never seen. How’s the Braves presence there?
I wouldn’t sleep on Charlotte, as the OP said. In addition to Montreal, who should have never lost their team, I feel that’s the most logical location for a new MLB team. Charlotte is a city on the rise, both in population (~2.5M), jobs (especially good-paying ones), and in affluence. In short, there are a lot of young professionals residing in Charlotte with money to burn.
You might be right, but MLB isn’t expanding anytime soon. I started thinking this afternoon about this. I know it might sound ridiculous, but Oklahoma City is quickly becoming a viable market. It also helps when a team only has to share the market with one other major league team. Forbes called OKC and Milwaukee, of all places, America’s Cities of the Future.
I can see the logic of your perspective but I have to ask: NC is big on basketball and football but are they really that into baseball – or are they likely to be? It’s something to think about as the “If you build it they will come” approach clearly hasn’t worked everywhere.
Montreal. If not for the stadium location (which was put there for the Olympics not for a baseball team) the team would have been fine. There were also plans underway for a new stadium that would have saved the team. The real reason they moved in the first place was MLB facilitating the ownership shuffle that benefited Selig’s buddies John W, Henry and Jeffrey Loria
How about actual Tampa? the problem is not St. Pete, is the traffic from Tampa to St. Pete
I hope the Brewers take a hard look considering last season’s collapse down the stretch.
This isn’t the craziest idea. Doubtful, since Runnin’ Ron is coming back for another year & it’d be odd (in some respects) to drop him after being retained …but that could be said for a lot of teams’ managers right now.
shocking
Does this mean Mattingly’s job is soon in danger?
yep
I think Donnie’s time may be over but will see. Andrew may have spoken to soon on keeping Donnie.
He will have more impact than any FA player signing this offseason.
Maddon would be a perfect fit for the Twins, but I wish DD and Mr. I would reconsider moving Asmus to another position in the organization and hire Maddon to lead the Tigers. A fringe benefit would be a stronger chance to get Price to sign a multi-year deal. I think his signing would be #2 most important next to the Tigers signing V Mart.
Hire Maddon, trade Ausmus for a mid-level prospect like the Toronto/Boston deal. However, who would want Ausmus now?
Too bad Leyland did not wait one more year to retire.
So if you ran the Cleveland Indians you’d rather sign Joe Maddon as manager than Victor Martinez as DH?
It’s almost a certainty that Tito has the same type contingency clause with Shapiro and Antonetti in Cleveland. If Tito goes, so do they.
Congrats LAD, you may have just bought yourself a championship.
Every team buys themselves a championship — be it through free agency or the draft.
The key word is “may”. Maddon didn’t win a championship with Tampa. The Dodgers haven’t sniffed a championship with a $200 million payroll either.
Fire Matheny Hire Maddon!!!
Any team would fortunate enough to have Joe Maddon as their manager. There only a handful of teams that wouldn’t see Maddon as an upgrade, two of those those teams being in the World Series.
Maddon is an upgrade over Yost.
Yeah, it’s not even close. Yost is easily in the bottom third of managers.
I agree but would KC do that? I highly doubt it.
They probably wouldn’t… But had they not come back in the play in game he’d be unemployed…. And I still think with Maddon and Gardenhire out there he should be. His snafus cost them the AL central…and made things much more interesting than need be. If I’m a Royals fan…I’m holding my breath watching Yost manage in the NL park.
Maddon to the Dodgers obviously & Mattingly I think now becomes Yankees hitting coach or bench coach. Girardi now on the hot seat.
Why would Girardi be on the hot seat? He’s done a fantastic job with what he’s been given.
Because to the Yankees its all about winning and they havent won lately. Yes Girardi did an awesome job but has missed the playoffs in 3 seasons as manager already after Torre never missed one. Yankee fans a re restless. another dark october and i think girardi is on the hook whether he deserves to be or not
Amazing how people fault or credit managers for whether a team makes the playoffs or not. I’ve heard Many Royals fans say Yost is terrible and here he is 3 wins away from a World Series championship.
I’m not saying managers shouldn’t get credit or blame, but my point is bad managers can still win and good managers can fall short.
Girardi was absolutely not the reason the Yankees missed the playoffs the last 2 years. He managed the team to have winning records in seasons where they were outscored.
Really tough off season for the Rays!
And we are still playing baseball.
Not as bad as the season will be. What more could go wrong?
Attendance from 5,000 to 0?
Dodgers or Cubs.
Cardinals
Wow! Stunning!
I thought he loved Tampa.
While it was spring training in 2013, he was yakking away with the fans having a good time at Ed Smith Stadium. Totally different approach then Showalter.
He would have pretty much the same team as he had in 2014. So yeah, I am a bit surprised in this move? Twins, maybe? I can’t see him sitting out next year.
So, uh, I guess Joe Maddon found 35 million reasons to reconsider this morning.
Oh man, I’d throw the guy a blank check if I were the Twins
And if you were him would you cash it?
With that group of players coming up I’d certainly consider it.
Love Joe……
But after a while what used to be innovative is status quo. Every has a staff looking at the same statistics.
That’s just not at all true. And even if they “look” at it, most don’t act on it. Watch the Braves for a season.
It is true.
The Rays edge was innovative use of stats. Now others are doing it, and talking away the “bargains” they the Rays found. It comes down to talent. Joe didn’t have much last year. Obviously he and Friedman saw the handwriting on the wall.
Well, we will just disagree.
You have a point, but it’s not just about the innovations…it’s about how he’s able to manage 25 big league egos. I can count on one hand the number of managers that are adept at that.
Joe is one of my favorite managers. But that team he had last year was flat out awful. No one could hit for any length of time. I didn’t see the Friedman genius when i was watching their games.
As for Joe – who says he wants to manage? Maybe he wants to run a baseball ops department. Heaven knows he’s more skilled and qualified then half the people doing that now.
“Minnesota interviews Joe Maddon for head coaching vacancy” better be a headline soon! Joe Maddon leading this young core of Twins – it wouldn’t just be good for Minnesota, it would be good for all of baseball. The AL Central is fast becoming the most competitive and best division in the AL!
Huh?
Twins would be fools not to be interested. Any fan who follows mlb prospects knows the Twins are a team about to explode with on-field talent. The guys they have coming are not just impact players, they are superstar calibur impact players.
I watch their system daily….they need some arms
I don’t think they’ll stick Paul Molitor like that. I assume they are holding off announcing the hiring until after the series for PR
You make it sound like Molitor has the job! I would not be so sure. Great guy, stellar MLB career but he has deep ties to the former regime and Twins could decide a complete break is in the best interest of the club.
Former regime?_If the Twins were any more “related” they’d be amish
Worked under Ron Gardenhire. Twins like to promote from within but don’t sleep on Tony Lovello. 4 years of the same results will make any organization want to change their ways.
How long did Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire work in MN? I’m not sleeping on Lovello…I just see them not making an announcement during the series. I’m not stating a case.
Tell me why he had another meeting?
Braves have made a huge splash rebuilding their front office and it makes a whole heck of a lot of sense to mix the old and new schools and hire Maddon. I’m not too optimistic though.
I swear if I read a headline that braves didn’t try to go get Maddon because they already have their manager in place, I’m going to flip out. Sure f.Gonzalez might develop into a good manager some day, but I don’t believe in developing managers at the mlb level.
Longo next to LAD?
And block Seager?
I was being sarcastic – apologies.
Honestly if you are the Dodgers and can swing a trade to acquire Evan Longoria, who is under team control for the same amount of time as Seager at very cheap rates, you do so and trade Seager to upgrade elsewhere. Heck, you probably include Seager as part of the package. Seager is younger and cheaper but his upside is still probably Longoria if he moves to third base. LAD would gladly acquire the actual Evan Longoria, who is still a great player.
and is from the LA area
Doubtful. Contract is to team friendly… even for the Rays
What happened to the code of not making major announcements till the World Series is over? Even those inside the game don’t respect the process. MLB, don’t moan if the ratings for the World Series fall.
Ratings for the WS are falling because the Royals aren’t a very interesting team and all the playoff games were almost impossible to find until the WS started.
Lots of internal issues for MLB to try to balance between network $$$ and fan friendly policies. Royals add a new, acquired drama to the game.
Cubs ever get to the series the whole world will be watching. SF and KC who cares but those two tiny markets.
Giants are not a tiny market…
Say it ain’t so Bleed.
Royals are a very interesting team.
I have always admired them.
Don’t be bitter! =P
Lol I guess my bitterness is showing through a bit.
If you don’t find the Royals interesting, fine. Don’t presume to speak for others.
Impossible to find? Go to MLB.com. Look on the left. It lists the TV station the game is on and even a way to find what channel the game is on in local areas. And I would contend Kansas City is a very interesting team. I know a lot of people interested only for the cinderella story that is KC. Casual/non-baseball fans are less interested but true baseball fans are very interested in this WS. This is the WS I like the most, honestly, since either TEX/STL in ’11 or even PHI/TB back in ’08. I’ve hated the recent World Series’.
To be fair… Fox Sports 1 is not available in many markets. Now to get rid of the arcane mlb black out policy.
Oooof. I strongly disagree. The Royals are and have been one of the most exciting teams in baseball this postseason.
“Almost impossible to find.”
Yeah, uh, no they weren’t. All I did (on nearly every game day) was say “What channels are the MLB playoffs on tonight?” into my phone and within a few seconds I had a clear display of channels, times and teams.
If someone couldn’t figure it out, they’re either a luddite or lazy. (not you, per se, just talking in general)
I’m a tech wiz myself. But most people are not. And there are many out there who either don’t have FS1 or are too poor to pay for it. You have to look at from their perspective. The network selections for this postseason were not as fool proof as in years past.
To clarify what i mean by hard to find having the ALCS and ALDS games on TBS and Fox Sports1 which are channels not every person will have. Outside of those with cable (which many people are moving away from due to ease of streaming) many of these games were unavailable.
They better be prepared with HBO coming out with their own service next year. When that happens, there may be a major exodus.
I’m watching the series because KC is the most interesting team there is. I’m not being a homer, they’re not my favorite team. Glad they beat Baltimore. I don’t think I could take watching Showalter give another riveting interview during a World Series game.
Royals are very interesting if you ask me. It wasn’t hard to find the games.
If MLB weren’t obsessed with money, they would have let people who don’t pay the extra for MLB Network watch for free during the playoffs.
Someone’s bitter his team got swept
I thought it wasn’t games. I always thought MLB’s big issue was that A-Rod announced he opted out *during* a World Series game.
I don’t think Maddon opting out of his contract is going to have any effect on the world series ratings.
I was referring to the process of taking the baseball limelight away from the World Series games and dividing it up between the game and MLB news around the leagues.
Joe Buck could make any ratings fall.
If they had Buck, Kruk and McCarver, the ratings would be zero.
but then maybe those guys would get fired
Next step, Mattingly gets the axe in a professional manner and gets a day or so to hold snippy press conferences. Then Maddon announced as Dodgers manager Sunday or Monday. Last, Mattingly gets a job managing in the AL, where his style is better suited. It would be hilarious if he went to the Rays and managed in the Yankees division.
Pack your bags Joe, you’re heading to Hollywood.
Friedman can do a convincing job to get ownership on board with hiring Maddon. If they were willing to pay Friedman $35MM for 7 years, imagine what they could offer Joe Maddon. $25MM for 5 years would surpass Joe Giradi’s largest manager contract and it wouldn’t surprise me the least.
Man I really hope Maddon does not take Hickey with him.
I hope he drags Shelton with him.
Are we even sure Maddon would gave interest coaching the Dodgers? Money talks, but managing the Dodgers would be a much different task than what he has excelled at.
Cubs would make some sense.
Agreed. Renteria seems like a nice fit and I’d be surprised if the Cubs switched managers again so quickly.
Joe Girardi will manage the Cubs one day
So lets just say if we believe ken rosenthal tweet ten minutes ago of him not going to the dodgers, then what is his next move?
Such an overrated manager
Yep. He is the Jeter of managers.
You mean the guy who is 6th on the all time hits list?
Is that the same guy who killed the Yankee season with is farewell tour?
He didn’t make the lineup, that would be on management. But I bet his farewell tour boosted revenue for the Yankees which would benefit the people who kept him at the top of the lineup. The injuries killed the Yankees season more than anything.
How did he kill the Yankee season? Loosing four fifths of their starting rotation along with and Teixeira and Beltran under performing killed their season.
I agree, there are a lot of reasons why the Yankees didn’t do as well as they should. How can you tell when Teixeira is under performing? I can’t remember when he didn’t under perform. I think the Yankees have two of the worst contracts EVER in A-Rod and Tex.
he’s a contact hitter who played a lot of games hitting at the top of the order. he was a good player on a lot of good teams, but he wasn’t the best player of his generation like his “face of baseball” reputation would lead you to believe.
I dont know many or any who would call him the best of his generation. He’s never even won an MVP. But you dont have to be the best player to be the face of baseball.
Poor Tampa. They had a nice run there but it’s all gone boom. They should probably just start exploring the trade market for Longo and hope they can rebuild again in 5-6 years because I really don’t see any reasons for hope in the immediate future.
I think the braintrust still in place is very capable. It’s not as if Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman were the only start men in that front office. Friedman’s disciples are bound to have picked up some things, plus Friedman’s shrewd moves – acquiring Odorizzi, Smyly, Franklin and Myers, extending Longoria, Zobrist, Archer, Moore – are still bound to pay off since they’ve also got Cobb, Jennings, Kiermaier & co. in the fold. They’ll be fine for a little bit longer then they will likely blow it all up. I expect to see Longoria in another uniform by the time he becomes a player earning 15 MM a year in like five years.
I bet the Astros regret naming AJ Hinch, Manager.
Time to fire him lol
That was an eventuality anyway.
I don’t think so. I believe the front office wants to essentially manage the team…Hinch is their uniformed rep in the dugout.
Don’t be surprised if he replace Colletti as the Dodgers GM. Following Friedman to the West Coast.
Joe Maddon – a longtime MLB manager – is going to follow Friedman (not pitcher Scott Feldman) to Los Angeles to perform a presumably unfamiliar role? Why wouldn’t Maddon seek a managerial job?
That’s probably true, but I was referring to Andrew Friedman (corrected last name) who the Dodgers just hired as their NEW President of Baseball Operation away from the Rays.
His name is Andrew Friedman not Feldman!!!!
PS not sure if Fledman is a supposed to be a pun or not…
I’ll correct it. Thank you.
No problem you did just make me stumble on a great pun, Joe and Andrew the Fled-man brothers!
Well, now that you’ve edited both posts for it to say the correct last name, it’s less important. I was mostly just being snarky, since there is a player with the last name Feldman. I know Friedman was just hired, but I can’t see Maddon going to LAD unless it’s to replace Mattingly.
Will never happen, but he’d be an amazing get for the Mets.
Young team, GM who appreciates analytical approach, (theoretically) resources if the team can start playing better and filling the park, etc.
Remember when the Rays were good?
Ausmus underperformed with a relatively healthy stacked roster. Tigers will probably enter 2014 with less (no Scherzer, no Vmart). Tigers should give Maddon a try.
The Mn Twins are the only team with an opening at this moment.
…and that was the end of the Tampa Bay Rays…
I think Dave Martinez should finally get his shot at managing now. Even if it’s going to be a heap of a team, it’s an opportunity.
They’re not a heap of a team. Their window is clearly closing, but they still have big-time talent pretty much across the board. Still have a puncher’s chance to do something. Not a terrible job.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Joe Maddon was obviously somewhere else at the time.
I know this will sound absurd. But, considering how heavy the Pirates are into analytics, shifts, etc. And with their window somewhat closing every year Cutch gets closer to free agency. Could the Bucco’s make a run at him. Hurdle has been fine, granted. But Maddon is in a whole different stratosphere.
Firing a current manager to hire Joe Maddon is not as simple as it sounds. Sort of thing that can easily backfire if the players liked the old guy. What I would guess is someone will bump the existing manager to a front office job — that he wants — and then go get Joe. Doubt it’s the Cubs frankly, as Renteria is very popular.
Which would make him an even better fit for the Braves. As far as I can tell the players don’t respect and are indifferent towards Fredi.
I agree. I think the Braves should be all over this. But management loves Fredi.
Fredi had actually done quite well record-wise in Atlanta (the dumpster fire that was last season aside), he just has a knack for making teams with such great records look so unimpressive. I would not shed a tear if he got the ax.
Interesting, so either Maddon’s representation expects him to join the Twins or that he will displace another manager. The latter could cause some issues. Recently, Terry Ryan did say the Twins were going to continue to look for new candidates so I wouldn’t rule them out, but I suspect the Dodgers are more interested than they let on.
wow this is really bad for the Rays.
Is Maddon really as good as we perceive him to be? Yes, he’s led a very small budget team to 2 first place finishes and a world series appearance, but he also has had some pretty incredible pitching staffs and great defensive teams. I think we underestimate the caliber of rosters he’s had and overestimate his impact on them.
That being said, I think any team would be lucky to have him lol
You are correct, I think Maddon sees the writing on the wall. He had an excellent team with when David Price, James Shields, Carl Crawford & B.J. Upton were in their primes. But Maddon probably sees a Rays team that will struggle in 2015 even in the weak AL East.
I think Maddon may be the best Clubhouse manager in the history of Baseball…Onfield decisions….not as much..
Quick thought experiment. Joe Maddon’s contract will likely equal VMARTs in total value (more years perhaps). Who will have more value?
If you state Maddon, they why should he not get $15MM AAV?
How will the Dodgers remember the don Mattingly era
I sense a few firings in the future.
So you think Maddon can manage multiple teams? Perhaps one National League and one American League?
The Dodger thing just makes too much sense. Friedman, Ex Angels bench coach, super successful manager……even if they stick with Mattingly in the short term he won’t get past the year with Maddon standing over him as “Director of Managerial and Coaching Development.” How might that sit with Donnie Baseball? If not February, no later than June.
Please, Twins. Make it happen! Having Maddon as manager and Molitor as hitting coach just might be what’s needed to clean up the mess in Minny.
Friedman’s Dodgers just signed Mattingly to an extension. So where is Maddon and his funky glasses gonna manage in 2015?
Cubs. Book it.
They better be willing to fork over some real compensation then. Sounds like the Rays suspect tampering.
Hmmmmm. I did not hear that.
Maddon won’t be out of work too long if he chooses. Great manager!
The Rays need to move. To where I have no clue, but the Rays can’t draw any fans even when they have a competitive team.
I could see Maddon going back to the Angels and bringing Price and Shields with him!
The Angels payroll would probably the highest in the league if that happened. Price and Shields wont give up discounts to play with Maddon again and if they did it wouldn’t be a big bargain.
Yeah, right. Fire the manager who just led your team to the best record in baseball …
I can see Sliverman’s next move relocating the team to the Carolina’s!
That’s an owner’s decision.
Despite popular opinion, the Rays model is not losing money, and, with their new TV deal on the verge and a new stadium in Tampa also gaining ground, there is very little possibility the Rays are playing anywhere other than in the Tampa Bay area (In Tampa, not the run-down St.Pete) long-term.
The Rays ownership has stated that they would like to move, yes, but to Tampa.
That may be sad to hear for you “fans” that wish nothing but for the Tampa Bay area to lose their team. The stadium is in the wrong city. Plain and simple.
Expect a move to Tampa (and a more than capable baseball market, considering the Rays local TV ratings, which, are on the verge of landing them a deal close to 80 mil a year versus a 20 mil a year one they have right now).
The Rays owners have described Tampa as a “very attractive” city for a new stadium. Hmm.
Maddon’s availability has a lot of managers sweating it out!
Hey Mets…take a ….oh wait…(sigh)
The Astros, DBacks, and Rangers Fans let out a collective moan “Why didn’t JOE opt out when our team was looking for a manager?”
Seriously though, it appears certain he’ll be taking a position with the Dodgers
We could use him in Atlanta.Gonzalez should be fired.
I don’t like this. Yet, maybe they will give the job to Dave Martinez, Dave deserves it.
Will there be a free agent profile on Maddon?
I think he’ll consider taking a year or two off and make easy money as an analyst, then see what gives. Maybe home to Philly area is his ideal fit as an older guy? However, I’d take the Cubs job. He’ll be a bigger man in Chitown than Ditka if he can turn the Cubs around and get them into the WS in the coming years.
I think people are forgetting the White Sox in all of this. I have no faith in Ventura to make this club any better, but Maddon would likely fit there as well.
There is no way that Maddon resigned to become a hitting coach elsewhere. He is going for a manager’s job and with big bucks attached to it. Yes, it could be the Dodgers, but I would love for him to take over Girardi’s job to see what he can do with Yankees $$$. He was very effective without it in Tampa, so imagine him with the Yankees financial backing too. He seems to know baseball better than most.
There is no way that Maddon resigned to become a hitting coach elsewhere. He is going for a manager’s job and with big bucks attached to it. Yes, it could be the Dodgers, but I would love for him to take over Girardi’s job to see what he can do with Yankees $$$. He was very effective without it in Tampa, so imagine him with the Yankees financial backing too. He seems to know baseball better than most.
Not until he negotiates a contract that is….
very true, just thought id throw that out
Don’t pile on Tampa Bay, they’re already hurting.
Fan attendance will still be around 10-12, so they should be okay there.
The Baker family crest is a pitcher in a sling standing atop a mound of bandages.
Just so Dusty can fill the roster with his favourite players that “clog up the basepaths”…
Marte? Damaso Marte? The man with a grand total of four innings in the playoffs spread out across the three series’? The man with a 9+ ERA in his 2009 regular season? He pitched effectively, but I wouldn’t say four playoff innings over (at least) 11 games is meaningful at all.
Spoken as a Mets fan here, what Girardi did this season alone, was a small miracle. Have you forgotten how awful that rotation was? What about the IF? Yet they were still in the playoff race until the last week or two. If he’d have gotten THAT out of almost any other team besides the Yankees, they’d be in the playoffs. He’d have won the WS with half the teams in baseball getting that much out of his players.
at least they still have the Buccaneers.
And the Lightning.
10-12 people per game sounds about right for the Rays.
I totally agree on Maddon.
If Joe Girardi does leave NY at some point. I think it’ll be to take over the Cubs. I think he’s their manager when they turn the corner.
Terrible rotation? The one that was 4th in WAR, 4th in xFIP. 2nd best in BB/9 and 3rd best K/BB? The Yankees rotation was vastly Underrated.
They still have great young pitchers. Archer, Cobb, Smyly, Odorizzi, Helleckson, Romero, Ramos, Colome, McGee, Boxberger, Gomes are the ones which come to mind. The Rays are great at flipping arbitration eligible players for prospects to stockpile in the minors.
Used to be. They haven’t done that effectively in quite some time (jury’s still out on the return from the Price deal). It’s now a middle-of-the-pack at best system.
It happens. And I wouldn’t say Maddon is leap bounds better. For one thing they’ve managed 2 entirely different teams. If given the choice I’d pick Maddon as the better manager, but I wouldn’t say leap bounds ahead. Girardi deserves a lot of credit for keeping an aging injury prone team competitive.
I do too. They can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true.
Come to the midwwest to St louis
There are only 5 division. Wouldn’t you need an even number so each league can have an equal amount or would you just have one league?
I might switch Philly and Wash.
Oh…you’re running out 5 leagues/divisions..I see. Yeah..the east and west are a little less tricky. I’d also try hard not to eliminate cubs-cards.
I’d toss Houston and Texas down south…KC and Stl back Midwest…AZ and Colo west I suppose
Ok ok ok…. how about 15 leagues, each with 2 teams? 😉
There ya go…yep…15_leagues and a wild card in each so no one gets left out. Why not 342_team single elimination
Two arms with talent doesn’t make a system. The arms aren’t on the bat timeline. Stewart is a ways away. The system is not balanced, loaded, and ready to go..they lacked at low a last season…. We’ll see…but you’re selling it like a homer
Sorry, I believe they have a solid system and believe in their future. I get the impression if I called Buxton a 10_you’d want to argue he’s an 11.
I’m far from naive in understanding that offensive talent is often much easier to project than what a young arm will do as they move up the system. Remember Mike Montgomery? John Lamb? Twins need things to break right and get a #3_starter out of the group….getting a #1 ace that would be such around baseball is a bit of luck too
I saw Trout and Buxton play back to back seasons in the same environment…and I’ll say.at that level and place Buxton was a better player. Reminded me of Eric Davis
I agree but I think his point was that the rotation on paper didn’t seem great – especially after Tanaka went down – but yet, it didn’t falter even as the Yankees were trotting out options 10, 11, and 12 out there. Who you give credit to for that is completely up to you, of course.
You are making my point for me. That rotation PERFORMED remarkably well, but was patched together as the season went along. How many of the starting 5 were still on the roster at the end of the season again? How many of those at the end of the season were having CAREER years?
I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to get milk, blood and water out of several turnips.
Marte was used to get some big outs in those playoffs. No, we shouldn’t overrate him based on that – but he was a factor in the 2009 playoffs, just like Lloyd was a factor in 1996.
Yeah…nice tone. It’s possible to converse using civility. Enjoy the rest of your day.
You are assuming they told the truth to the media and it’s possible they DID make an offer and waiting for a response and/or to make it public. You need to remember to not believe everything you read in the papers.
Nope
My mistake then. The way you wrote it I thought you MEANT that they performed terrible.