Joe Maddon Leaves Rays, Joins Cubs (At Least I Think He Should)

By Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports:

Joe Maddon, who guided the Tampa Bay Rays to their first six winning seasons and the 2008 World Series, on Friday opted out of his contract with the club and presumably will seek to manage elsewhere.

In spite of speculation Maddon might follow Friedman to the Dodgers, that does not appear to be the case. Friedman insisted last week Don Mattingly, who is under contract through 2016, would be his manager in 2015.He is the second significant figure to leave the Rays this month. Andrew Friedman, their longtime general manager, became president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 14.

Instead, as the Rays regrouped following Friedman’s departure and entered into contract extension talks with their manager, Maddon abruptly resigned. He was under contract through 2015, but could have opted out under certain circumstances, Friedman’s exit among them.

Maddon told the Tampa Bay Times that it was “gut-wrenching” to leave the Rays, but that contract negotiations were not satisfactory.

“We were still too far apart,” he said.

Maddon’s bench coach, Dave Martinez, is an option to succeed Maddon on the top step.

In nine seasons, Maddon helped change the culture of the downtrodden Rays. Operating on a low budget in the competitive AL East, the Rays adopted Maddon’s underdog spirit and optimism.

Maddon, 60, was 754-705 in Tampa. In the eight years before Maddon arrived, which accounts for the short history of major league baseball in Tampa, the Devil Rays and then the Rays had finished out of last place once. Maddon replaced Lou Piniella in 2006 and by 2008 the club, newly recast as the Rays, won 97 games, an AL East title and the AL pennant. The Rays advanced to the playoffs three times in the next five years, as well.

Much of the success is attributable to Maddon, bright and folksy, familiar with the game’s advanced metrics and yet able to relate to today’s player. In free agency, he’d likely have his pick of jobs, should that come now or next season, as teams re-evaluate their managers and directions.

“We tried diligently and aggressively to sign Joe to a third contract extension prior to this decision,” Rays owner Stu Sternberg said in a statement. “As of yesterday afternoon, Joe enabled himself to explore other opportunities throughout Major League Baseball. He will not be managing the Rays in 2015.”

Sternberg added, “The foundation of success laid during [Maddon’s] tenure endures.”

By Joe McDonald, biased Cubs fan:

"I will be joining the Chicago Cubs, at whatever price they think is fair," Maddon announced in my daydreams at a quickly-assembled press conference at Wrigley Field.

"We will draft a contract this afternoon and pay him the highest salary in Cubs history," Theo Epstein countered immediately after a hasty step toward the microphone, amidst cheers from the usually reserved Chicago press.

"This is a great day for the Cubs," added current manager Rick Renteria. "Rick Renteria has done the best job possible with his talent and the talent on this team. He has set them up to get to the next level, and Joe will take care of the rest. Rick will be paid a full year's salary in thanks for his service."

"No, he will not," Epstein noted after a short wrestling match with the ex-skipper.