Maddon To The Cubs

[HammerDown]

Will that be before or after all the free agents offer the Padres discounts to play in SD?

You feel better now, Slinky? Dudes been waiting 6 months to say that (again).

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

You feel better now, Slinky? Dudes been waiting 6 months to say that (again).

Oh, come on, man. It's just a funny thought. Doesn't make me feel better, just makes me chuckle.

I haven't been waiting to say it - the Maddon/Epstein spat prediction reminded me of it.

I'd be kind of surprised if those two had any public blowups at all, let alone before spring training. Why do you think they will?

 

[HammerDown]

Oh, come on, man. It's just a funny thought. Doesn't make me feel better, just makes me chuckle.

I haven't been waiting to say it - the Maddon/Epstein spat prediction reminded me of it.

I'd be kind of surprised if those two had any public blowups at all, let alone before spring training. Why do you think they will?

They fired Rick Renteria who by all accounts is universally loved and respected as a fundamentals manager. In comes a look-at-me character. If they win, it'll work. If they don't, it'll get messy real quick.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

They fired Rick Renteria who by all accounts is universally loved and respected as a fundamentals manager. In comes a look-at-me character. If they win, it'll work. If they don't, it'll get messy real quick.

I'd be surprised if they're expecting to contend next year (they ranked 12 & 13 in the NL for RS & RA), and I don't really see a public dust up between the manager and VP in the first year.

I do think they're in a good position to win over the next few years, though. In addition to the highly touted farm system, they've also got a shatton of money to spend, a front office and now a manager with track records of success.

I'll say this, if Epstein does get lucky and break the Cubs' curse, people are going to be polishing his knob all over the place.

 

[Clayton]

I'll say this, if Epstein does get lucky and break the Cubs' curse, people are going to be polishing his knob all over the place.

You're better off worrying about more realistic feats like time travel or having a 3 way with 2 models

 

[packerzrule]

You're better off worrying about more realistic feats like having a 3 way with 2 models

Don't know about that. Did that all the time when I was a kid

 

[calsnowskier]

Maddons' first day on the job? Goes to a Wrigleyville bar for day drinking and doing Harry Caray impressions? Yeah, not a dewshbag. Not at all.

I predict things go from "he's a character" to "he's an asshole" by the ASG.

He bought a round for the patrons of a bar? Are you serious?

Is there still room at Guantanamo? I have never seen anyone MORE deserving of getting water-boarded.

What a doosh.

 

[redseat]

Is he worth the money?

 

[redseat]

Report: Joe Maddon made Rays an offer to stay before taking Cubs job

The Chicago Cubs made it officially official Monday, announcing that they're giving Joe Maddon a five-year contract to be their new manager.
Before that deal was sealed though, according to a new report from CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, Maddon made the Tampa Bay Rays an offer to remain their manager.

It's another indication that the upheaval in Tampa was all about Maddon doing things on his own terms. In this case, he reportedly told the Rays how much he wanted to be paid, knowing he could get more elsewhere if they flinched.

Maddon gave the Rays his terms — an "olive branch" from a "get-along guy," according to Heyman— and the Rays said no. So Maddon took the Cubs job, where he'll now get paid more than he would have accepted from the Rays. Reports say he's getting $25 million for those five years, which ranks him right next on his mentor Mike Scioscia as the highest-paid manager in MLB.

From Heyman's report:

Maddon, following what one person described as talks that turned “contentious” after his decision to opt out of his under-market Rays deal, in his personal effort to try to keep things together reached out to the Rays with his own firm proposal. Maddon, ultimately known as a “get-along guy,” was looking to extend an olive branch after nine fruitful years in Tampa Bay with his offer, which was turned down by the Rays, according to people familiar with the talks.
The Rays, said in a statement by Rays owner Stu Sternberg to have “diligently and aggressively” pursued Maddon, are believed to have offered via a multiyear extension, a significant raise by their standards at least, from his approximate $1.8-million salary Maddon was to make from them in 2015. But ultimately, Tampa Bay's offer is still thought to have been well below market value, or at least what the Cubs were willing to pay for what they viewed as an “elite” manager. Or what Maddon was willing to stay for.
The Rays are thought willing to have offered close to $3 million annually on the extension, but ultimately they were probably hurt by small-market limitations.
There's still another contentious part of Maddon's departure from the Rays. The club is contemplating tampering charges against the Cubs, but Maddon's agent Alan Nero told MLB Network Radio that no such tampering occurred. He also said Maddon would have stayed in Tampa for "under market value."


The Rays, of course, might have a very different summary of the events that led to Maddon's jumping to Chicago. You have to figure Maddon and his agent knew what kind of budget the Rays were working with, thus they probably had a good idea whether the Rays would accept the "olive branch."

The narrative of Cash-Grabbing Joe Maddon won't last that much longer anyway. Soon enough, the Rays will be a memory and he'll have to produce in Chicago, a city starved for a Cubs championship with an exciting young talent pool that's fit to be molded.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/report--joe-maddon-made-rays-an-offer-to-stay--before-taking-cubs-job-185956282.html

 

[HammerDown]

 

[HammerDown]

It's another indication that the upheaval in Tampa was all about Maddon doing things on his own terms.

I'm surprised they took his shit for so long. A bigger-budget franchise would have given the ole heave-ho much sooner.

 

[redseat]

I'm surprised they took his shit for so long. A bigger-budget franchise would have given the ole heave-ho much sooner.

Probably but he was "winning" and let's face it they weren't gonna pay another manager big bucks to manage that club.

 

[tducey]

Good for the Cubs. Think this move might make them a playoff contender in 2015.

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

It's another indication that the upheaval in Tampa was all about Maddon doing things on his own terms. In this case, he reportedly told the Rays how much he wanted to be paid, knowing he could get more elsewhere if they flinched.

I'm not a fan of Maddon, but I think it's pretty shitty to suggest that he's a bad guy for wanting to be paid what he's worth.

To put it in perspective, if you knew you could make significantly more money than you were making currently doing the same job, you wouldn't take it? I've often though Maddon was a whiney bitch, but I give him credit for giving the Rays an opportunity to keep him.

According to this story, he told the Rays he could make X from other clubs, but he would accept a lesser amount to stay with the Rays. The Rays elected not to pay him, so he moved on to make X. I don't see how this makes him a bad guy.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I'm just surprised that Theo didn't try to raid the Padres again. I don't know what he has against the team that gave him his first chance, but it's got to be something.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

They fired Rick Renteria who by all accounts is universally loved and respected as a fundamentals manager. In comes a look-at-me character. If they win, it'll work. If they don't, it'll get messy real quick.

Who gives a shit about Rick Renteria.

This is about turning around an organization and winning games. The better manager became available and the Cubs jumped at the opportunity. Nice having you around Ricky, but you weren't going to cut it.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Good for the Cubs. Think this move might make them a playoff contender in 2015.

Coupled with the Cubs having interest in Russell Martin and 1 of Lester, Shields or Scherzer. Yeah, I'd say the Cubs could make a little bit of a push for a wild card spot. Maybe even the division.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Who gives a shit about Rick Renteria.

This is about turning around an organization and winning games. The better manager became available and the Cubs jumped at the opportunity. Nice having you around Ricky, but you weren't going to cut it.

You really think it's that clear cut? Interesting to me, since I always find it difficult to untangle the effects of coaching/managing from players performing in all sports, and none more so than in baseball.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

You really think it's that clear cut? Interesting to me, since I always find it difficult to untangle the effects of coaching/managing from players performing in all sports, and none more so than in baseball.

If I have a young team, and money to spend, and that team is on the verge of being playoff contenders and I have the choice of keeping Ricky or bringing in Maddon. . . . . . .

It's a no-brainer

 

[TDs3nOut]

If I have a young team, and money to spend, and that team is on the verge of being playoff contenders and I have the choice of keeping Ricky or bringing in Maddon. . . . . . .

It's a no-brainer

You really think that's the Cubs? I love what Arrieta did last year, but don't you think that rotation lacks a starter or three in order to contend in a pretty competitive division?