Manager Joe Maddon has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He will leave the team immediately, in a decision that stuns the baseball world. This comes 10 days after Maddon said that he plans to stay with the team. He was forced to address that issue when executive vice president Andrew Friedman joined the Dodgers as their president. The Rays planned on signing Maddon long-term, but the two were getting nowhere in contract talks.
Many are speculating that Maddon will be heading to Los Angeles, despite Friedman saying that Dodgers' manager Don Mattingly will return next season. Mattingly signed a 3-year contract extension in January, keeping him with the team through 2016. The Dodgers finished 94-68 atop the NL West this past season, but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.
The Rays finished 77-85 this past season, the first year since 2009 that they didn't finish with 90 wins. Maddon did have 5 90-win seasons with the Rays, 2 fewer than Terry Francona and Mike Scioscia among active managers.
Maddon was 754-705 in 9 seasons with Tampa Bay, including a 2-time AL manager of the year, and gave the Rays their only AL pennant and World Series appearance in 2008. He has a record of 781-729, if you include his 2 seasons with the then-California Angels. The Rays are sure to miss Maddon, who had a .517 win percentage with the team. In 8 seasons with other managers, the Rays had a .401 win percentage, with no playoff appearances.
Many are speculating that Maddon will be heading to Los Angeles, despite Friedman saying that Dodgers' manager Don Mattingly will return next season. Mattingly signed a 3-year contract extension in January, keeping him with the team through 2016. The Dodgers finished 94-68 atop the NL West this past season, but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.
The Rays finished 77-85 this past season, the first year since 2009 that they didn't finish with 90 wins. Maddon did have 5 90-win seasons with the Rays, 2 fewer than Terry Francona and Mike Scioscia among active managers.
Maddon was 754-705 in 9 seasons with Tampa Bay, including a 2-time AL manager of the year, and gave the Rays their only AL pennant and World Series appearance in 2008. He has a record of 781-729, if you include his 2 seasons with the then-California Angels. The Rays are sure to miss Maddon, who had a .517 win percentage with the team. In 8 seasons with other managers, the Rays had a .401 win percentage, with no playoff appearances.
