The Chicago Cubs have made a big change today, hiring Joe Maddon as their skipper according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. However, the Cubs and Maddon have denied the reports. While the deal is still unconfirmed, it would be a shock if it were not to happen at this point.
Maddon was the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 until he opted out of his contract on Friday. The Cubs already have an incumbent manager in Rick Renteria which means they will need to either buy out his contract or reassign him within the organization.
Maddon is highly regarded in the game after taking the Rays to a World Series in 2008 and making the playoffs with them in all but 5 years of his reign with them (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014), after they had been bottom-feeders for their first 8 years in existence.
This is a smart move for the Cubs who clearly believe that they are on the doorsteps to becoming competitive. After a long rebuilding process, the Cubs have a ton of young, premium talent both on the roster and right on the doorsteps of the big leagues. Renteria seemed to be a solid manager who was doing a nice job with the development of the young players, but hiring Maddon is a no-brainer.
His success with young players and understanding of advanced metrics make him a perfect fit with the Cubs.
UPDATE (5:35 PM) Joel Sherman has confirmed the news