Joe Maddon will be the next manager of the Cubs, according to a tweet from CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
joe maddon to become cubs manager. story up soon at @CBSSports
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) October 29, 2014
The Cubs were considered frontrunners to land Maddon, who opted out of his deal with the Rays because of a clause that opened up when exec Andrew Friedman left for the Dodgers.
Maddon would replace Rick Renteria, who was in the first year of his three-year deal. His first year, with plenty of young players on the roster, was generally considered a success by baseball people. The Cubs were a dangerous team the final few months of the season (one game over .500 in August and September, after being 15 games under up to that point in the year).
But the opportunity to land Maddon, an outstanding tactical manager with a track record of success in extenuating circumstances in Tampa Bay, was more than the Cubs could pass up, apparently.
Not everyone jumped to confirm the initial report, though.
Cubs' source calls Maddon report "inaccurate." No word from Cubs or Maddon's agent.
— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) October 29, 2014
That doesn't mean it's not happening.
— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) October 29, 2014
Major League Baseball tries to discourage this type of news during its signature events, and Game 7 of a World Series certainly qualifies as a signature event.
So, we'll see how this plays out over the next few hours. As always, check back here for more on this story as it develops.
