Cubs and manager Joe Maddon part ways after five seasons Mark Townsend 16 hrs ago
The Chicago Cubs announced they are parting ways with manager Joe Maddon after five seasons.
© Provided by Oath Inc. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon looks out from his dugout during warmups before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Diego, Friday, July 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo) Maddon and team president Theo Epstein held a closed door meeting after Saturday’s 8-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals to discuss which direction both parties wanted to go. The final decision was announced before Sunday’s season finale at Busch Stadium. Maddon’s contract with Chicago was set to expire at the conclusion of the World Series.
Maddon led the Cubs to the postseason in each of his first four seasons in Chicago. That included their 2016 World Series championship run, which ended a 108-year drought. His fifth and final season will go down as a disappointment. The Cubs were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week. They will fail to reach the 90-win plateau for the first time during Maddon’s tenure.
Now the speculation can begin in regards to Maddon’s next move. It’s believed that the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels will have interest in luring Maddon to the west coast. The Padres job is open after Andy Green was fired on Sept 21. The Angels have Brad Ausmus under contract through the 2021 season, but according to reports would be willing to move on after one season to hire Maddon.