The Angels look like the front-runners to land coveted free-agent manager Joe Maddon, but the Padres are also considering a pursuit of the 65-year-old. They’re “doing background work on” Maddon, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
The well-respected Maddon, who has enjoyed outstanding runs atop the Rays and Cubs, looks like a logical target for the Padres on paper. The club did just wrap up a dismal 70-92 season, its 13th straight year without a playoff berth. However, the Padres plan on finally pushing to contend in 2020, and they’d reportedly prefer an experienced manager to replace the fired Andy Green. Furthermore, executive chairman Ron Fowler spoke out in disgust this week over the Padres’ results this year, which seems to indicate they’ll be active this offseason as they seek a return to relevance.
Whether the Padres end up hiring Maddon, fellow potential candidate Brad Ausmus or someone else, that individual will be joining a franchise with at least a few enviable building blocks on hand. The left side of the Padres’ infield is in great shape with shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado, while right-hander Chris Paddack is coming off a tremendous rookie season. The Padres also continue to boast one of the majors’ most loaded farm systems. At the same time, though, there are quite a few roster needs to address for a team that has resided at the bottom of the MLB standings for far too long.
They would offer him the most $$$.
The Padres are the best fit for Maddon. I wish him luck.
lol
As they should persue him.
Padres are a great fit! Angels are the mess!
I would enjoy him at the helm of the Padres. It would make the giants beating them that much better.
And make the Padres beating the Dodgers even better
Honestly it’s a better job. A decent team that’s about to get better with an influx of young pitching.
Better ballpark, too. But taking on the Yankees West every year is a daunting challenge.
A number of job openings for GM and it seems Maddon is the bell of the ball. The Pirates, Phillies, Angels, Padres, Mets and Cubs..oh wait…well this is awkward. Don’t think the Cubs will be at the ball.
You spent a lot of time trying to be funny and I don’t think a single team you listed has an opening for GM. Maddon wouldn’t be the “belle” of any ball searching for a GM.
No! The cubs can’t have Maddon? So no more pitcher batting 8th pulling ace after 61 pitches ? No revolving leadoff man and pitcher playing left field ? No more monkeys and tigers and snakes roaming Wrigley? Players not being held accountable for endless 2nd and 3rd nobody out and can’t score ?
Not a single name on the Cubs list is better than Maddon. It’s just humorous that he gets roasted for multiple lineup changes and Dave Roberts does it more often. It’s funny that he got roasted for batting Bryant second, yet Judge, Trout, Votto, for a long time Goldschmidt, Altuve all bat second. He gets roasted for all his play flight themes and you can go through almost every team’s social media and see how much their players enjoy doing the same thing. The game he did play his pitcher in left—-he won the game and the biggest contributing factor in that game was how he used his bullpen and had to use Wood in left. The grass isn’t always greener—-and including the playoffs—which are the most important to Cubs fans these days—-Maddon won 490 games in the five seasons he was here——-tall task for the next guy to average 98 wins.
Well said Mike!
There are tigers and monkeys and snakes in Wrigley brought in by Maddon? He is pulling “Aces” after 61 pitches how many time in 5 years Mikel?
Revolving leadoff man? Hhmm when they had Fowler there was no doubt who it was. Since he is gone who should the leadoff hitter be? Maybe the front office should have obtained one for the team? Hhhmmm maybe that is on Theo. A good manager with no leadoff hitter needs to keep trying to find one! But that never occurred to you.
Batting the pitcher 8th on some occasions? Sure but so what?
Anyway Maddon will be in the hall of fame one day and is the hottest managerial candidate out there that every team, but the idiot Cubs, is interested in.
The only ones who are not interested is you and your cousin Theo!
I guess everyone else in the baseball works is not sharp like you and cousin Theo.
@ word—-EXACTLY——the only thing Maddon didn’t manage (or was unable to) were the shortcomings of the front office the past couple years. Forever grateful for what Theo has brought and will continue to try to bring, but pinning anything on Joe is ridiculous.
Funny how I read a bunch of articles and not a single word against Dave Roberts for leading off Pollock one game, batting him thirdthe next—-Bellinger in center one game, at first the next…..Pederson benched one game, leading off the next—-last year IN THE WORLD SERIES—-Bellinger led off, batted third, batted sixth and didn’t even start a game—-yet when Joe moves a guy in the order, it’s like he Titanic is sinking. Amazing how guys are so far ahead of the game that the public hasn’t caught up yet.
Again well said in particular about Roberts. Roberts also pulls his starting pitchers, even the great Kershaw, after two times through the order, around the 5th inning, more than Maddon ever did!
@SalaryCapMyth ….. oh wait … this is awkward … I did my research (unlike you) …. neither the Cubs or Pirates or Phillies or Mets or Angels or Padres have an opening at the GM level?
What is your source?
It was my understanding that the Angels only fired Ausmus to replace him with Maddon. If that is the case I doubt they fire Ausmus unless they are fairly certain that Maddon will choose them.
A padres fan with sense. Thank you!
Or they see several other options who they would still prefer over Ausmus.
They don’t fire Ausmus after only one season and be willing to still pay him what he’s owed unless they wanted him gone no matter who replaces him.
LAA could be outbid by SD. Unlikely that occurs for a manager but it is possible. Given Moreno’s prior relationship with Maddon you would have to imagine he has a pretty high level of confidence that Maddon will go to LA. Nothing is certain until the ink dries though.
San Diego can out bid a lot of teams. They have plenty of money to throw around. The question is… do they?
If they are way outbidding anyone for FAs like Machado and Hosmer last couple offseasons, no doubt IF Maddon is the one they want?
I agree. Why would the Angels fire Ausmus when the management pool from a year ago remains largely unchanged? They know what was out there prior to Maddon being not retained. Maddon becomes available and suddenly Ausmus is gone. It’s only a matter of when not if Maddon is announced as Angels new manager.
..that would be too much money for the padres, no, they will hire the loser Ausmus on the cheap
The Halos are underrated one of the richest teams in baseball. After the Yankees Red Sox & Dodgers it’s arguable the Angels who are next. The Angels have wasted 8 years of Trout but not completely unintentionally. They haven’t signed the necessary FAs bc strategically they didn’t want to give them the money. They see what’s going on in Houston and how big the gap is between the two franchises. So Arte brought in Eppler to resurrect the farm system and he’s done that. Now it’s time to go balls out for FAs (Cole).
Eppler has done a good job. He had a good reputation as Cashman’s AGM, and is implementing a similar, slightly under-the-radar plan that brought the Yankees back in contention. That begins with rebuilding the farm. Ohtani the pitcher returns next year (and Ohtani is almost assuredly an Angel because of Eppler who was assigned to him going back to his Yankee days) and there is a light at the end of the tunnel with Pujols’ contract. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they force retire him before the end of 2020, as the Yankees did with A-Rod. And as you noted, the Angels are one of the wealthiest teams around. With Trout locked in, they’re a team on the rise. Need to add a couple of arms to Ohtani.
Umm Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler want to have a word with you over the half a BILLION dollar bill from the last 3 years…but ok.
Exactly, they will spend.
Bleacherbum do not be fooled. The Padres spent $183 million NOT a half a BILLION the past 3 years
The Padres also had essentially 0 dollars committed to anyone else but those 3 deals. They’re well within a reasonable budget range at the moment. I would not say because of the spending on those three deals that proves that they will spend significantly moving forward. Could mean quite the opposite.
From fowler’s Comments it appears he wants to win right now. How much more he’ll spend to make that happen is anyone’s guess though.
Half a billion over 3 years is not a big deal at all. That is not spending anywhere near what others spend
Half a billion is not anywhere close to the luxury tax levels the last 3 years. Using the word billion (why not just say 500 million) when it is no where close to a billion does not impress me.
@at Keep … bad news … you have been duped by the Padres!
$182 million spent the past 3 years is nowhere close to “half a BILLION dollar bill from last 3 years” even if you insist on capitalizing BILLION.
Lets talk facts!
Here they are and its gonna hurt!
Facts:
(MLB refers to Luxury Tax Level)
(SD Rank = Padres opening day payroll rank)
(SD $ = Padres opening day payroll)
Year MLB SD Rank SD $
2017 195m 30th of 30 teams $30.128m
2018 197m 28th of 30 teams $73.716m
2019 206m 27th of 30 teams $75.795m
$182 million spent is not even close to the “ half a BILLION” figure you spouted off about.
In 2017 the spent $32 m. Way under the $195 m luxury cap.
In 2018 they spent $73.7 of the $197m Tax Level.
In 2019 they spent $75.7m of the $206m Tax Level.
In 2017 the Padres spent less than anyteam! Dead last in payroll.
In 2018 they spent the third to last
In 2019 they spent the 4th least amount!
But… ok … pretend its “half a BILLION” go ahead .. ok.
Source: USA Today Based on Opening Day Payrolls.
Ya sure whatever bro.
Myers 80,000,000
Hosmer 144,000,000
Manny 300,000,000
= Let me get some of what your sipping on cause i want some.
Agreed. Padres will pay Hosmer and Myers and Machado big bucks and go cheap cheap cheap on the manager
They won’t. The owner went on the local radio air waves yesterday and confirmed that the next candidate will indeed have some type of substantial MLB experience. Preller’s job is on the line, 2020 needs to be a success. They won’t get a cheap manager a la Andy Green this go around.
It will be someone of the Maddon, Girardi, Scioscia or Showalter ilk.
Bleacherbum for the Padres sake ownership better back that up. I agree they need a serious and experienced manager with a track record of success.
Do you have any idea what your talking about at all or are you just spewing out bs??? Checks out. Fowler just said we are getting a mlb experienced manager and “if they are not competitive in 2020 heads are gonna roll starting with his.”
Who cares what blowhard minority owner 3% says
The people who he will have a hand in firing if it doesn’t go his way
Bingo
I am not sure if the Padres would be a good fit with Manny Machado there! Maddon is use to coaching young players who are not overpaid but that changes in a few years when these players start thinking about their pay day. Just look what happened to Maddon in Chicago in the last few years.
I don’t think Madison would look at a team and say “i dunno about this Manny Machado character, i don’t wanna coach him because he make a lot of money”
It’ll likely be partly appealing to the Pads to hire Maddon cause he’d likely bring Loretta & Venable back to SD to be on his coaching staff.
Maddon would love train wreck that is Wil Myers
Hosmer overpaid weak fielding can’t hit lefties 1B
Oh and the pack it in Machado. Preller is the cheap GM who’s job is hanging by thread. Maddon walks in room making 3 tomes what Preller is making that’s recipe for success
Here we go….Maddon the master player playing the Padres against the Angels for maximum contract. Padres and Angels…..you want to trust Joe? Be prepared to pay big $$$.
Joe Maddon is worth the big money
Here’s the thing, Maddon spend 31 years with the Angels so it’s justs as much snot that as it is the state of the franchise. In Anaheim he gets to come home and coach two of the best players of all time and the most fascinating player of the generation. The fan system is largely improved. Padres are loaded with young talent and need guidance from a vet. Maddon could very well end up there. But here’s the bottom line: If the Angels offer him the job he won’t take another interview. He will accept and become the Halos new manager.
Ya just like Mike Soscia is susposed to be the manager of the Dodgers right?? Lol. Dont mean nothing Joes taking the $$$.
Sounds like you know Joe too. He wants the Angels ….he just wants the Padres to think that he wants them.
Joe hasn’t even said he’s interested in any other specific job other than Anaheim. He’s not scheduled to interview yet with anyone but the Angels. Why are we even talking like the Padres are in the hunt? They’re not. Moreno is going to give Maddon his money and Joe is going to take it.
Scioscia spent time only as a player with the Dodgers. Not 31 years. Joe was both a player and manager and won the World Series ‘02 as the bench coach. He’s said repeatedly over the years the Angels manager job is a dream of his. It’s a done deal. Move on!
Seems like Maddon will have his pick of where he wants to go. In the end might not be up to if a team wants him or not.
Everyone knew Maddon was going to the Cubs before the deal was signed, and we all know again he’s signing with the Angels.
Angels seem like the most logical fit.
I think Scioscia and Girardi are the front runners for the SD job.
Scioscia retired
It’s possible for someone to come out of retirement or change their mind.
You’re wasting your time on him, he’s a one note poster.
Yes and what says Scioscia will be one of them?
Scioscia will go back to Philly and be their manager. They can’t have Mike Trout so they can have the other Mike.
The Padres job would be an incredible get for Maddon. They might have looked rough, especially to end the year, but they have a lot of similar pieces that the Cubs had when we arrived – but probably better pitching pieces.
Hosmer is average/above average at 1B
Urias has the tools, just needs to put it together at the MLB level.
Tatis Jr. is one of the most athletic and gifted players in MLB.
Machado is a force.
They have several outfield pieces – some of which are legit, some that are expendable.
Pitching wise, Paddack will be outstanding, Lamet looked great at the end of the year, and they have a lot coming up in the system. Their bullpen is no slouch either. They’ll also have the financial ability to chance down the likes of Cole, Kuechel, others if there’s mutual interest.
Good post, and I agree with most of your points.
However I think Cole will be a stretch due to how much has already been spent on Machado + Hosmer. Myers will be moved and whatever cash is saved from that transaction will go straight to one of the mid-tier level starts imo like Odorizzi or Wheeler.
The Ace will have to come via-trade like most have suggested for over a year and change now for the Padres. Putting last years first round pick CJ Abrahms on the table could garner some interest. I could see Blake Snell being available, possibly even a guy like Joe Musgrove or Dylan Bundy.
Gerrit Cole was born in Orange County. He’s signing with the Angels and so is Joe Maddon.
And Patrick Corbin was guaranteed to sign with the Yankees because he’s from NY and grew up a Yankees fan.
Money. Talks.
Hosmer’s WAR score, according to Fangraphs, was -0.4. That was the lowest score on the team. That is beyond horrible, just like your post.
Machado is a force? Yea at ATM machine on on playing field.
if there is a team that swept the dodgers this season other than the angels, please raise your hand!
Why is important as to how many teams swept the Dodgers
Joe was great with young Rays and Cubs teams. But his act doesn’t play well with a more veteran group so Angels would be a big mistake for him. Padres makes complete sense.
that was a big whiff!
Yes. You are so right as he was awful with those young teams that got to the Series. Wow…….great analysis Viz.
The Padres are losers. They’ll never do anything. The Angels made Joe Maddon what he is now. He worked for them for 31 years. If Arte Moreno wants to bring Maddon back home he’ll take the job.
Maddon should talk to his old buddy Bud Black. He’ll tell him it’s not worth taking the manager job from the Padres. Nobody will ever compete with the Dodgers in the NL West. The Padres have spent plenty and still suck. Then they blame the manager and fire them.
Mark the last 3 years the Padres have been between 27-30th of 30 teams in opening day payroll. Per USAToday.com. In short you would be hard pressed to find a team who has spent less
Yea spent bulk of $ unwisely on 3 players
Girardi>Maddon
Have to think Maddox is going to the Angels. His longtime ties and the firing of Ausmus spell it out. I think the Padres would be a better fit personally. I like their young roster…. The Angels pieces are not as attractive to me.
Let’s see where can I go so I can promote my huge ego….hmmmm. Maybe I can do a Lebron like espn special to announce my choice-Joe Madden