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| Maddon leaves Rays after 8 years. Photo Credit: Kim Klement/ USA Today Sports |
In a surprising move, Joe Maddon has decided to opt out of his contract with the Rays and leave Tampa Bay immediately the team announced.
By: Michael Hanley
Owner of the Tampa Bay Rays Stuart Steinberg released the following statement on Maddon's departure from the club:
“Joe Maddon has exercised an opt-out in his current contract, a contract which was not scheduled to expire until after the 2015 season. We tried diligently and aggressively to sign Joe to a third contract extension prior to his decision. As of yesterday afternoon, Joe enabled himself to explore opportunities throughout Major League Baseball. He will not be managing the Rays in 2015. Joe has been our manager for nine seasons, and the foundation of success laid during his tenure endures. We thank him for all that he's meant to the organization.”
This move of course quickly fired up the rumors of Maddon possibly joining Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles to become the new manager of the Dodgers. From the statement that the owner put out today, in no way shape or form would that possibly happen since he was under contract from one more season and their was action on behalf of the Rays organization to sign Maddon to a contract extension.
Plus, Andrew Friedman himself was quote last week as saying Don Mattingly will return as Dodgers manager next season and is signed through the 2016 season. If he wanted his own guy to come in and manage, Friedman would have already started the wheels in motion for that to happen and we would be hearing about the candidates he would be interviewing for the job. Maddon though
a very solid manager is not in play for the Dodgers at all.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that Maddon was able to opt out of his deal as soon as Andrew Friedman left for the Dodgers. Since Friedman left for LA, there have been some difficult times between Maddon and the organization as a whole. There were no specific details as to what they were not agreeing on but it had to cause a big enough rift between one another for Maddon to abruptly leave the organization.
It is possible that he also saw what lies ahead for the Rays if he had decided to stay on as manager. This is a franchise that is in full rebuilding mode, will have a new GM in place who will have his own vision of what he wants this team to look like. Maddon might have figured why not get out while he can to pursue a more attractive option elsewhere.
Maddon leaves behind a great legacy of winning that the franchise could only dream about before he arrived in 2006. The Rays went 754-705 (.517) under Maddon in total, including two division titles, four playoff appearances, including a trip to the World Series in 2008.
The former Rays skipper will have plenty of suitors and options to mull over as he looks for anew home in the major leagues.
Follow me on Twitter: @Magic20099
