Cubs Fire Rick Renteria As Manager, Hire Joe Maddon

[key2win]

Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon exercises opt-out clause, leaving team - ESPN

Please come back home to the Angels. They need a new manager badly.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Joe Maddon won't be returning to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays announced Friday that Maddon has exercised an opt-out in his contract, which was due to expire after next season.

Owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement: "We tried diligently and aggressively to sign Joe to a third contract extension prior to his decision. As of yesterday afternoon, Joe enabled himself to explore opportunities throughout major league baseball. He will not be managing the Rays in 2015."

Maddon has managed the Rays for nine seasons, compiling a 754-705 record. He led Tampa Bay to the playoffs four times, won two AL East titles and one World Series appearance.

The decision comes less than two weeks after Tampa Bay lost executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Friedman assembled the teams that Maddon guided in transforming the Rays from perennial losers into a club that had six consecutive winning seasons before finishing 77-85.

"In the last several days we worked with Joe to try to figure out a contract extension," Friedman's replacement, Matt Silverman, said during a conference call. "We engaged and made many offers and it became clear from his responses that it was not an exercise that was going to lead to an outcome."

Silverman, who took over as head of baseball operations after serving as team president for a decade, said Maddon's contract contained a clause that allowed to opt-out under certain conditions, including Friedman leaving the Rays.

Friedman's departure on Oct. 14 led to immediate questions that when Maddon's contract with the Rays expired after the 2015 season that Friedman might try to lure him to the Dodgers.

"As I said last week, Joe and I enjoyed a tremendous relationship working together in Tampa Bay and I wish him nothing but the best wherever his next stop will be," Friedman said in a statement. " However, nothing has changed on our end. Don Mattingly will be our manager next season and hopefully for a long time to come."

Silverman said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" by Maddon's decision. A search for a new manager will begin immediately, but there's no timetable for naming a successor.

"I believe Joe wanted to be the manager of the Rays long term. That was my intention and Stu's intention. We dove head-first into discussions, but it takes two parties to reach an agreement," Silverman said.

"I'm very comfortable with the financial offers that we made Joe. They were very generous," Silverman added. "He listened to those and chose to opt-out."

[tndcollectables]

Saw that, the Angels or Twins would be good for him and them.

[key2win]

Joe Maddon expected to become Chicago Cubs' manager - ESPN Chicago

The Chicago Cubs are on the verge of hiring Joe Maddon as manager, as first reported by CBSSports.com.

Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed the agreement to ESPN's Jim Bowden. However, three team sources told ESPN's Buster Olney a deal is not yet in place, though they say one is expected.

Major League Baseball is sensitive to teams making major announcements during the World Series.

CBSSports.com initially reported the two sides had reached an agreement, but then reported Maddon was on the verge of a deal.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced last Friday that Maddon had exercised an opt-out in his contract, which was due to expire after next season.

Maddon managed the Rays for nine seasons, compiling a 754-705 record. He led Tampa Bay to the playoffs four times, won two AL East titles and made one World Series appearance.

The Cubs have not made the playoffs since 2008 and have finished last or next-to-last in the NL Central in each of the past five seasons.

[key2win]

Chicago Cubs fire manager Rick Renteria after one season - ESPN Chicago

CHICAGO -- The Cubs will announce the hiring of former Tampa Bay Rays skipper Joe Maddon as the 54th manager in franchise history on Monday, the team announced in a release.

The team set the stage for Maddon's hiring by firing current skipper Rick Renteria earlier Friday.

Team president Theo Epstein released a statement praising Renteria while indicating Maddon's availability was too enticing to pass up.

"Last Thursday, we learned that Joe Maddon -- who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us -- had become a free agent," Epstein said. "We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe."

According to the Cubs, general manager Jed Hoyer flew to San Diego late last week to inform Renteria of the team's pursuit of Maddon and told him on Friday a change was being made.

"Rick deserved to come back for another season as Cubs manager, and we said as much when we announced that he would be returning in 2015," Epstein said. "We met with Rick two weeks ago for a long end-of-season evaluation and discussed plans for next season. We praised Rick to the media and to our season-ticket holders. These actions were made in good faith."

The pursuit of Maddon was the worst-kept secret in baseball over the past seven days as many teams publicly backed their managers while the Cubs remained silent. Epstein reportedly almost hired Maddon in 2003 to manage the Boston Red Sox, choosing Terry Francona instead. The Red Sox won two world championships under the leadership of Epstein and Francona.

Renteria took over the Cubs after the team fired Dale Sveum at the end of the 2013 season. He was tasked with overseeing a team in transition and by all accounts provided a positive atmosphere for young players to develop. Core players like Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro both rebounded from subpar seasons in 2013 to make the All-Star team in 2014. The Cubs finished 73-89, 17 games out of first place; still, at the end of the year, Epstein made it clear that Renteria would be returning for a second season.

That changed when Maddon suddenly opted out of his contract after former Rays general manager Andrew Friedman left Tampa Bay for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maddon reportedly wanted to "test free agency" for the first time in his managerial career. The Cubs immediately pounced, despite having Renteria under contract for two more seasons.

According to a source, the team will retain most of the coaching staff employed for Renteria's one year as manager, with only small changes.

"He has a mind for the National League game," former Cub and current Ray David DeJesus said of Maddon last week. "And he puts players in positions to succeed. He's as good as they come."

The Cubs are entering another phase of their stated rebuilding process as the team hasn't won a title in 106 years. Signing Maddon to a long-term deal is another indication the organization is getting serious about contending, as most observers believe the Cubs have the best position player prospect in the game -- and now one of the best managers.

After the season, Epstein indicated the Cubs would be involved in the pursuit of free-agent pitching both this winter and next. The Cubs last made the playoffs in 2008 and have finished in last place the past two seasons while ridding themselves of older veterans and costly contracts. After restocking their farm system with high draft picks and acquiring talent through trades, they finished 2014 with the youngest team in baseball. Maddon's ability to connect with young players while keeping a loose but intense atmosphere is cited as one of the reasons for his success.

"He's relatable," DeJesus said. "He understands us [players] more than most. He lets the players be themselves. He wants two things: run the ball out at first and be yourself in the field while having fun playing baseball."

Said Epstein: "We have clung to two important ideals during our three years in Chicago. The first is to always be loyal to our mission of building the Cubs into a championship organization that can sustain success. The second is to be transparent with our fans. As painful as the last week was at times, we believe we stayed true to these two ideals in handling a sensitive situation."

[thebighurt035]

Now the Scrubbies are going to when the WS next year < SARCASM

[key2win]

Joe Maddon's agent calls tampering claims against Chicago Cubs 'silly' - ESPN Chicago

The agent of new Cubs manager Joe Maddon denies any tampering allegations while insisting Maddon would have stayed in Tampa Bay if they had increased their offer.

"Theo [Epstein] would not even have talked unless he got clearance from the commissioner's office," agent Alan Nero said on MLB Network Radio on Sunday. "It's silly to suggest that [tampering], if they want to pursue that, that's fine.

"In my world, if someone in your family has an opportunity to better themselves, you give them your blessing and move on. This accusation of tampering is really sad and a bit insulting."

The Rays are considering filing tampering charges, according to the Tampa Bay Times, as they believe Epstein enticed Maddon to opt out of his final contract year.

At first, Nero says he asked the Rays if Maddon could look for other opportunities while also negotiating with Tampa Bay during a 14-day opt-out window. They refused permission and so the sides spent "five to six days negotiating in good faith" exclusively before realizing they were too far apart. That's when Maddon decided to opt out.

"Our proposals were under market value," Nero said. "Joe would have stayed if they had stepped up."

Nero says 10 teams immediately called with front office or broadcast opportunities but there were no other clubs besides the Cubs willing to fire their manager as only the Minnesota Twins had an opening at the time.

"It would be disingenuous for me to suggest that," Nero stated about other teams. "The first contact with the Cubs was basically an email asking us to prove there was an opt-out and Theo doing his due diligence."

The Cubs fired their existing manager, Rick Renteria, on Friday and then announced a news conference for Monday to introduce Maddon as their new skipper.

"Everyone has to make business decisions and the Cubs felt this is the guy that might take them to the World Series a lot sooner," Nero said.

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Chicago Cubs introduce Joe Maddon as manager - ESPN Chicago

CHICAGO -- When Joe Maddon and the Tampa Bay Rays visited Wrigley Field in August, the manager raved about National League baseball and praised the iconic neighborhood ballpark.

Couple that with Maddon's impressive resume, and it's easy to see why the Chicago Cubs think this is going to be a successful partnership.

Maddon was introduced Monday as Chicago's fifth manager since the start of the 2010 season, replacing Rick Renteria. The sides agreed to a five-year contract through the 2019 season. Terms were not disclosed, but according to ESPN and media reports the deal is worth $25 million plus incentives tied to the postseason and does not include an opt-out clause.

"I'm gonna be talking playoffs next year," Maddon told reporters at The Cubby Bear, a bar across the street from Wrigley. "I'll tell you that right now. I can't go to spring training and say anything else. You have to set your goals high, because if you don't set them high enough you might hit your mark, and that's not a good thing. We're gonna talk World Series this year, and I'm gonna believe it. It's in our future."

The Cubs' brain trust of president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer had planned to bring back Renteria until Maddon opted out of his contract with the Rays last month. Then they decided to pounce on a free agent "who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us,'' Epstein said in a release announcing Renteria's dismissal on Friday.

The 60-year-old Maddon had a 754-705 record in nine seasons in Tampa Bay, leading the club to four playoff appearances, two AL East titles and a five-game loss to Philadelphia in the 2008 World Series. The two-time AL Manager of the Year also was the bench coach for six seasons under Angels manager Mike Scioscia before he was hired by Tampa Bay in November 2005.

The Rays went 77-85 this year, and Maddon departed after Andrew Friedman left Tampa Bay's front office to take over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 14.

Chicago finished 73-89 in Renteria's only season in charge.

Maddon inherits an impressive group of prospects and a bigger payroll after his successful run with the small-market Rays. But he also gets a run of five consecutive losing seasons and a famous title drought that goes back to the Cubs' win in the 1908 World Series. Chicago hasn't made the playoffs since it won the NL Central in 2008 with Lou Piniella in the dugout.

"The challenge is so outstanding," Maddon said, "how could you not want to be in this seat?"

Epstein was hired after the Cubs went 71-91 in 2011, beginning a rebuilding process that included 101 losses in his first year in charge. But Epstein thinks the Cubs are ready to contend, and the bold move for Maddon shows he thinks the rebuilding process is far enough along that the manager could make a difference.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro each made the NL All-Star team this year, and young sluggers Javier Baez and Jorge Soler had some positive moments in their first major league action. Maddon's biggest challenge is building on the development of Chicago's core group of young players while also paving the way for another wave of prospects that includes third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Addison Russell.

"The two things that stood out this past summer were this cathedral across the street and then the groupings of players, youthful, talented and really into the game," Maddon said. "They never quit and it was beautiful to watch.

"I heard all about it, you see it, you read about it. ... Then you see them first hand. When I'm watching all this the thing that strikes me is the player development program and the scouting. It has to be outstanding to get those guys out here. I was really impressed with all that from the other dugout."

[key2win]

Major League Baseball investigating Chicago Cubs' hiring of Joe Maddon - ESPN Chicago

PHOENIX -- Both the Chicago Cubs and the agent for new manager Joe Maddon have been contacted by Major League Baseball as an investigation into his hiring has commenced, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The New York Post reported earlier on Monday that MLB was looking into whether the Cubs contacted Maddon before he opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays late last month. Days later, he signed a five-year deal to manage the Cubs.

"We welcome the MLB investigation," Cubs president Theo Epstein told reporters Monday at the general manager meetings in Arizona. "There was no tampering whatsoever. I'd rather they investigate so we can clear our name and move on from this quickly. We're giving our full cooperation and we welcome it."

Neither agent Alan Nero nor Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer had much new to say about the situation. Both have repeatedly denied the accusation.

"It's embarrassing," Nero said.

Nero has been adamant there was no tampering involved.

"Theo would not even have talked unless he got clearance from the commissioner's office," Nero said recently. "It's silly to suggest [tampering]. If they want to pursue that, that's fine."

Hoyer added a "no comment" on Monday and stands by what Epstein reiterated Monday and first said last week in denying the notion at Maddon's introductory news conference.

Maddon had an opt-out clause in his contract that kicked in if his boss, Andrew Friedman, left the Rays. Friedman took a job with the Los Angeles Dodgers in October, giving Maddon 14 days to decide whether to opt-out of his deal. Nero says he asked for permission to "look around" for what was available for Maddon during the opt-out window but that the Rays denied permission.

After negotiating with Tampa Bay for several days, Nero said, Maddon's camp determined that an agreement on a new deal wasn't forthcoming and that's when he exercised his opt-out clause. Nero says he then informed other clubs, including the Cubs, that Maddon was available.

"Joe would have stayed if [Tampa Bay] had stepped up," Nero said.

Maddon signed a $25 million deal with the Cubs, giving him a significant raise. The Cubs fired Rick Renteria to bring Maddon aboard.

If found guilty of tampering, the Cubs could be penalized in the form of compensation to the Rays. In the past, this kind of compensation hasn't involved a significant player. While not considered tampering, the Cubs had to give the Red Sox a minor league pitcher (Chris Carpenter) in return for hiring Epstein away from Boston in 2011.