The message was clear Friday to those in the Cubs’ clubhouse, especially
anyone who knows Joe Maddon.
“Hiring Joe in my opinion is a championship move, and they’re letting
everyone know we’re going for it,” said Cubs reliever Wesley Wright, who
played for the Cubs’ newest manager, Maddon, the final two months of 2013.
In a move considered inevitable for the last week, the Cubs made official
their highest-profile managerial hire in eight years on Friday, announcing
the “firing” of manager Rick Renteria about two hours before announcing a
Monday news conference to introduce Maddon.
Terms of Maddon’s multiyear deal were not announced, but it’s believed he
got at least close to the five years, $25 million he was said to be seeking –
making him one of the three highest paid managers in the game and the
highest in Cubs history.
The biggest signing in Theo Epstein’s three years running the team came
exactly one week after Maddon exercised an opt-out clause with a year left on
his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In making the dual announcements Friday, the Cubs issued a lengthy statement
on Renteria, whose sudden ouster just one year into a three-year contract is
viewed by many in the industry as unjust.
“We saw [Maddon’s availability] as a unique opportunity and faced a clear
dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization,” Epstein said in
the statement. “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.”
Epstein came close to hiring Maddon as the Red Sox manager 11 years ago
before choosing the more experienced Terry Francona.
“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. 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.”
Cubs insiders say the sudden availability of a manager who represents the
ideal fit for this phase of the team’s rebuilding process made it impossible
to pass on a chance to hire Maddon – regardless of how it might look
jettisoning Renteria after only one year and going through three managers in
four seasons.
Renteria was offered a chance to stay with the organization in another
capacity, according to the statement. He turned it down.
Renteria declined comment through his agent on Friday.
Admittedly, “He deserved better, and we wish him nothing but the best,”
Epstein said in the statement.
Sources say Maddon has made no demands to bring any of his own coaches in,
and a staff shakeup is not anticipated. No more than one or two new coaches
are expected to join him.
Despite wide speculation he could be targeting longtime Rays bench coach Dave
Martinez – an ex-Cub interviewed last year for the managerial opening –
sources suggest that is unlikely. Martinez is a candidate to replace Maddon
in Tampa Bay and remains under contract there regardless.
Maddon, a two-time manager of the year, oversaw the same kind of transition
in Tampa Bay that the Cubs are trying to pull off, going from last place to
the World Series in his third year there, 2008 – the first of five 90-win
seasons.
An innovative thinker, exceptional communicator and only manager to lead the
low-budget Rays to a winning record, Maddon, 60, is a matchup-minded
strategist built for the National League.
Wright said he hated to see Renteria lose his job. But he also knows Maddon’
s value.
“Just to see how relaxed and comfortable he was with what he believed in and
brought to the table rubbed off on players,” Wright said. “There aren’t a
lot of guys who aren’t players who can have as much impact on the game with
what they do and how they prepare, to affect the entire team.”
Industry sources say the Rays plan to file tampering allegations with major
league baseball, believing their failure to sign Maddon to an extension this
month was a result of the Cubs making their high-priced interest in him clear
after Rays general manager Andrew Friedman took a team president job with the
Dodgers.
Freidman’s departure triggered a two-week deadline for negotiating an
extension or allowing Maddon the option of becoming a free agent.
Cubs officials vehemently deny communicating with Maddon before he opted out.
A source close to Maddon said he made the Rays an offer to stay for far less
than the Cubs eventually paid, and the Rays declined.
2015得冠軍!!!!!!