The Chicago Cubs have hired Joe Maddon to be their next manager, according to Jon Heyman.
joe maddon to become cubs manager. story up soon at @CBSSports
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 29, 2014
When Maddon left the Rays last week, it was speculated that he could join the Cubs, especially after teams like the Mets and Dodgers were ruled out as possible destinations. The Cubs have been rebuilding under Theo Epstein, and have added some of the best young hitting prospects in the game. They are now adding one of the best managers in the game. The final piece is a need for pitching, and their resources, combined with the low payroll they’ll get from the young hitting talent, will give them plenty of money to go after some of the best available pitchers on the market.
In short, none of this is good news for other NL Central teams.
UPDATE 5:59 PM: Several Chicago writers are saying that Maddon’s camp is denying that a deal is in place, but that doesn’t mean a deal won’t be reached. Ken Rosenthal says he’s talking with the Cubs, and other teams.
Sources: Maddon talking to #Cubs as well as other teams. No deal in place with Cubs – yet.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 29, 2014
Keep in mind that game seven of the World Series is tonight, and MLB typically tries to hold back any other news from taking any of the spotlight away from the World Series. That could be a factor here, and is definitely why I don’t think anything will be official for another day or two.
