Joe Maddon is out as the Cubs’ manager, but the 65-year-old isn’t eyeing retirement. Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes that Maddon hopes to manage for another three to five seasons and is open to signing on with rebuilding clubs and contenders alike.
“I look at it, it’s got to be a good fit,” said the three-time Manager of the Year winner. “Philosophically, you’ve got to be on the same page. You’ve got to like the people you’re going to work with. I’m wide open.”
There are currently four teams with managerial openings that could target Maddon. Bruce Bochy and Ned Yost announced their retirement as managers of the Giants and Royals, respectively, while the Pirates have fired Clint Hurdle and the Padres have fired Andy Green. Additional openings will surely arise; the Mets’ Mickey Callaway and the Phillies’ Gabe Kapler are both on the proverbial hot seat following disappointing showings in the NL East. There’s also been some speculation about a quick changing of the guard for the Angels, who hired Brad Ausmus less than one year ago.
Maddon has been a full-time manager with two teams — the Rays and the Cubs — but that experience has exposed him to a wide-ranging spectrum of clubs. His time with Tampa Bay familiarized him with a rebuilding club early on, as he was hired in 2006, and that job also created experience in dealing with a low-payroll organization. On the flip-side of things, Maddon was hired by the Cubs at a time when the team was emerging from its rebuild and had clear-cut postseason hopes. He also dealt with managing a number of well-compensated veterans on a big payroll club that often utilized those highly paid veterans in more limited roles than the ones to which they’d previously grown accustomed.
Maintaining a positive clubhouse in that type of setting can come with challenges, but Maddon seemingly never lost the respect of his players. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo tells Nightengale that Maddon is a “walking, living legend” who will be missed. “Joe changed my life,” says Rizzo. “Changed my career. I love him like a dad. The guy understands the human element of this game more than anyone I’ve been around. I’ll be forever grateful to him.” Tony Andracki of NBC Sports Chicago provides additional quotes from Jon Lester, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Ian Happ — each of whom heaps praise onto Maddon and the job that he’s done in his time with the team.
It stands to reason that as a well-respected dugout veteran with a recent World Series championship and a lifetime 1252-1068 record, Maddon will have little difficulty finding a new job in 2020 and beyond. It’s worth noting that if the Halos do decide to move on from Ausmus, Maddon has considerable ties to that organization. Maddon served as a first base coach and bench coach with the Angels for more than a decade and was also the team’s interim manager in two different seasons, compiling a 27-24 record in those temporary appointments.
I would say Padres
Philadelphia Phillies or Giants.
Any of those above or Angels.
Mets not a good fit. More dysfunction than the Cubs.
He’s not going to the Giants. I suspect Zaidi will want someone he can mold. I bet they get a fresh face, not some guy in his 60s.
Andy green? He is a available
If the Phillies get rid of Kapler, Zaidi may go after him. The Dodgers front office wanted Kapler when Zaidi was with them, but Kasten stepped in and had them hire Roberts instead. It’s a big “if,” but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Phillies moved on considering how much they have underachieved recently. I see Maddon going to the Angels. He is very familiar with that organization.
White Sox.
It’s quite possible Bob Geren might interview with the Giants. Good friends with Zaidi and has an incredible knowledge of the game.
If Geren is so good as a manager then why did he suck so bad with
Oakland ??
Giants please don’t hire Geren.
Because it probably took him time to learn under a real team that actually makes it to the postseason.
Only team that makes sense given windows. Young dudes like him, can’t imagine gets do.
I would say Expos
San Diego would be a good fit.
Great opportunities for a Future HOF – so is it East Coast or West Coast? I’d say San Diego, assuming they get him, maybe he pulls Strasburg to option out & go there. As a NAT fan I’d hate that but ….
Not a HOFer yet. Needs at least another pennant, maybe another World Series win. Has goodwill to spare though.
I think he is, what he was able to do in Tampa along with being the manager of the Cubs team that broke the curse should be enough. Throw in that he’s universally loved and respected by executives, media, and players. Hall of Famer.
Nah. Winning one ring isn’t enough, and the Cubs drought is not a factor for the HoF.
So trout and kershaw Aren’t hall of famers ?
That comparison is not valid at all. I should not have to explain the difference between players and managers in that regard.
San Diego should bend over backwards to get him
If Maddon can’t take SD to the next level I don’t know who can. Now is not the time for the Padres to cast their lot with yet another rookie manager.
The Padres have to go up more than one level in order to be relevant. Last place in the NL West and 3rd worst record in the NL overall…pretty bad.
Padres should definitely be the most appealing opportunity for any manager. One could argue that the window for the Cubs is closing. The Mets and Phillies are also in win now mode but those teams have to beat Washington and Atlanta. Pittsburgh is probably going to sell a little bit and be the bottom feeder of the nl central. Royals are garbage right now. Then there’s San Diego. They already have some foundational pieces at the big leagues like Paddack Yates Stammen Richards Machado Tatis Urias Renfroe and the big flux of prospects coming like Gore Trammell Morejon etc… The Dodgers will keep being the Dodgers but the rest of the division is a big question mark and it’s the Padres time to shine.
Angels have an upcoming press conference with Eppler and Ausmus, with the latter moving back into a front office role to make room for Joe Maddon.
Possible no??
He was Scoiscias bench coach for many years i think this is where maddon ends up.
maddon was given a post in the angels f/o after the rays let him go and before cubs hired him.
No he wasn’t. He opted out of his Rays contract due to a clause that said he could if Andrew Friedman left Tampa. Cubs signed him a few weeks later. Wtf are you talking about? Totally not true.
He’s thinking of Bud Black
when you don’t know posting something like that makes you a “genius”. genius!
Absolutely untrue. Maddon went straight from Tampa to Cubs
The press conference was scheduled a week ago. Supposed to be an “exit interview” so to speak with Ausmus and Eppler
Maddon should operate somewhat like a Boras client. Wait until all the openings are clear and then let his agent drum up a bidding war.
I hope no one hires him. He collects a bullpen that takes 5 laps around the mound, gets a haircut, watch a season of something on Netflix, etc. in between every pitch. All his games take 4 hours to play. God forbid a game go into extra innings.
He loses my HOF Vote for that. HOF Candidates have lost out on votes for lesser reasons..
His games take 4 hours to play?? I think not.
I wasn’t aware you had a HOF vote.
Well FattKemp at least you voted for Rivera and we finally got a unanimous Hall of Famer. Not exactly sure that Hall of Fame voters should be posting here on MLBTR. It’s always good to get an expert opinion but you should not tip your future vote as it may influence others.
besides, what’s wrong with 4 hour games? baseball is an entertainment. people can enjoy longer hours for the same ticket price.
Cub players are accountable here not Maddon. Easier to change managers for deep pockets teams like the Ricketts. Whiners like Rizzo and Bryant might do better with so someone who might bench them for whining or not playing hard. Darvish might do better with someone who can stroke his fragile psyche. Yeah, it was Maddon’s fault.
@david722. Yet another comment that makes no sense. How are Rizzo and Bryant whiners? As a non Cub fan they seem to be good ambassadors for the game. How do they not play hard? If you can find an instance they didn’t play hard please enlighten me.
I can see him in San Diego or San Fran. Mets environment doesn’t seem to fit his personality, same with Philadelphia.
That’s a no in San Fran.
That’s a double no in SF.
He’s as perfect fit in Philly, no? Local boy comes home, he has more personality than Kapler (so do most corpses), and it would be the kind of “big move” that will keep the Phillies relevant this winter. And they can afford him.
If they hire Maddon solely because it’s a “big move that will keep the Phillies relevant this winter” they’ll miss the playoffs again. Same if they think they can fix their pitching by throwing stupid money at Cole.
Wouldn’t hurt them to take a page out of the Braves playbook and focus on adding plenty of depth and filling positional needs so they can make a splash in October instead of January.
Cole would be a huge help.
I could see dodgers open up too if roberts fails with this squad for a 3rd time to win a chip. Would like to see maddon on dodgers, angels, padres, phillies. Think he would be wasted on pirates.
No chance for Roberts to leave. He’s the manager thats made it to two out of three WS.
No. Friedman did that.
White Soc
replacing renteria again….
Most overrated manager in the last 15 years
Winningest?
Betting Maddon has about 1200 more wins as an MLB manager than, say, qbass187 does…
But qbass187 isn’t a Manager, and it isn’t about him.
Baseball stupidity at its finest right here with qbass187.
Qbas187, you nailed that one !!
Everybody is looking forward to another Astros-Dodgers World Series, but the biggest battle from here on out until next spring is going to be the Padres and Angels fighting it out for Joe Maddon and Gerrit Cole lol.
I’d venture a guess that if Maddon is interested in either the Angels or the Padres, that will be settled before the week is through…
Not supposed to announce stuff like that during the playoffs.
Strasburg possibly too. Hopefully while all that is going down, Texas can pull a Minor/Lynn with Wheeler…
Looking forward to the Nats beating the Yanks in the World Series.
Astros certainly have the $ to resign Cole. He’d be worth the going price, that’s for sure.
I would love to hear an actual reason why cubs fans hate Maddon so much. I’m sure it would hilarious.
“He hasn’t won a World Series for THREE YEARS now!”
I like Joe Maddon, but fully understand why it was mutually agreed upon for him to move on.
Epstein should have mutually agreed that his time is up too. Managers should not get replaced for poor personnel decisions made by the front office.
That’s not how it works.
Sure it does.
Sure? Theo is going to fall on his own sword?
Chances are Joe knew he would be highly sought after anyway.
Even Theo has a boss.
And of course Maddon was prepared this, and knows he can manage as long as he wants elsewhere. I wonder how long his restaurant stays in Chicago though.
Think of Ozzie – he is not a yes man
Theo is a bozo needs ego stroked
I would be shocked if he went to the giants. Farhan is going to get someone who follows his strategic thinking and move as one cohesive unit from management down. Maddon is not a yes man and won’t want to be controlled by upper management on every decision. Most likely why Bochy called it quits. Saw the writing on the wall and it was a perfect opportunity to move on.
Yap agree
Looks like Philadelphia to me.
Maddon – manager
Manual – batting coach
Searage – pitching coach
Nice start – players??
Manual won’t be back, he only agreed to do it for this year. He’s done.
Made on as Red Sox GM…lmao
Smart move would be the padres… considering they are close to busting out.
A stupid move would be the Phillies and angels.
An odd move would be the giants royals or Pittsburg
But, it’s really up to him, and he feels is best for him.
Three to Five Years?? I once finished a puzzle with those same numbers on it in only 6 months!
I have a feeling he ends up with the angels. Not I 2020 but maybe in 2021. With Friedman as the gm. The dodgers don’t go to the show this year,have a lousy 20, then frieman walks or catches the metro to Anaheim and hires maddon. Angels contend in 2021
Dave Roberts can feel the heat. He’s going to lose in the play-offs. Maddon will replace him in LA, and Roberts will move on up the coast and be San Fran’s manager in 2020.
Crazy talk.
If the Mets fire Mickey Callaway, Joe Maddon or Joe Girardi will be their next Manager.
Angels are firing Ausmus. Job is Joe’s now…
Angels next manager
Maddon will win another championship before the cubs do.
If the Angels are interested in hiring Joe Maddon to manage their team hopefully they will have the courtesy to fire Brad Ausmus first before courting the genius. In a classless move, the Cubs talked to and then hired Maddon while Rick Renteria was still under a similar one year contract on the northside of Chicago following the last season of their rebuild in 2014. At that time Maddon had a window to opt out of his Rays contract due to a technicality tied to GM Andrew Friedman who was leaving Tampa to become the Dodgers President of Baseball Operations. The Cubs hired Maddon before letting Renteria know.
The Cubs brass clearly respected the job Renteria did in his one season of managing after the poor performance of Dale Sveum during the first two years of their rebuild in 2012 and 2013. Renteria had some initial success with the development of the first wave of Cubs prospects including Jorge Soler and Javier Baez in addition to getting rebound seasons from Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro. Theo Epstein tried to talk Renteria into remaining with the organization but that would have been a difficult decision for Renteria to accept under the circumstances.
Renteria departed and was quickly hired by the White Sox to be Robin Ventura’s bench coach before taking on the job of managing another rebuilding Chicago team when the latter walked away from the opportunity following the 2016 season. It turned out to be the right decision for Renteria who will finally have a chance to finish what he started as the White Sox now transition from rebuilding to contending in 2020 and beyond.
Did you call Maddon a genius? Only one Maddon who can be considered genius, and his name is John.
100% CONFIRMED MADDON TO ANGLES
Acute or obtuse? Right!
Jets?
Winnipeg Jets?
KC Royals!!
i could see Dave Roberts in San Fran after the dodgers loose the playoffs. Think it would be rather quick but it wouldn’t be a shocker since im sure Farhan still has him on speed dial. . Maddon probably goes to the Angels , then after a year to input his system convinces Arte Moreno to get Freidman to take a metro ride and become the Angels g.m. and they start to build a world series team .
I think Tim Wallach becomes the Padres new manager since he left Donnie baseball and supposedly wants to spend time with his family. Ausmus will end up in K.C.
Maddon to LA, that’s got a groovy sound.
The giants don’t hire short term managers, so they are luckily out on Maddon. He will probably end up as the angels manager.
Why would he want to go to the Dumpster Fire that is the Angels?
Could Joe be reunited with Andy Freeman if the Dodgers and Dave Roberts does not win the World Series?