Joe Maddon’s particularly fond of inspirational quotes and sayings, so he’s surely familiar with this cliché about big league managerial openings: ‘there are only 30 of these jobs.’
The implication? You don’t want to walk away from the opportunity to manage at the big league level because there are always more qualified candidates than there are jobs – let alone job openings. More often than not it doesn’t make much sense to walk away from a big league managerial gig.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch the World Series on Sportsnet Friday at 8 p.m. EST. Listen on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
Yet on Friday, Maddon opted out of his contract with the Rays nonetheless, a decision that left Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman ‘surprised’ and ‘disappointed’ and makes Maddon one of the most intriguing free agents this side of Max Scherzer and Jon Lester.
At first glance, the move doesn’t appear to be all about the money. While the reasons for Maddon’s departure aren’t completely clear, Silverman said the team made numerous offers that were ‘very generous’ and suggested the decision wasn’t about compensation (of course, longtime Tampa Bay executive Andrew Friedman left the Rays for the Los Angeles Dodgers and obtained a reported $35-million deal, so the financial pull of large markets can’t be dismissed).
Then there’s the question of opportunity; Maddon’s departure comes at a time when there’s just one managerial vacancy outside of Tampa Bay. He wasn’t able to leave the Rays until Friedman’s departure triggered an opt-out, so the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks have already hired new managers this fall. Aside from the Rays, who will start searching inside and outside the organization for a new manager immediately, the last-place Minnesota Twins are the only team in the market for a skipper.
But Maddon doesn’t have to play by the rules. Since 2008, the Rays have five 90-win seasons, four playoff appearances, two division titles and an American League pennant. Much of the credit for that success goes to Maddon, who’s viewed as a sharp tactical manager capable of motivating and relating to players. Based on those strengths and that track record, it would be impossible for rival teams not to be tempted by his availability.
So while teams such as the Dodgers and New York Mets publicly insist that they’re set at manager, that doesn’t mean Maddon’s going to be frozen out (the Toronto Blue Jays are set as well, for those wondering). After all, what else can those teams say without undermining their existing managers and creating a potentially unnecessary controversy?
Look no further than Maddon himself for a reminder that these things can change quickly. He seemed dedicated to Tampa Bay a mere 10 days ago when he told the Los Angeles Times, “I want to continue to be a Ray, absolutely.” Regardless of what the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs say, speculation will justifiably linger until Maddon signs a new deal. In the meantime, he controls his own fate.
As for that cliché about only so many managerial jobs existing? When there’s a truly exceptional candidate, the opportunity will emerge. For Maddon, it’s now a question of where and how soon.
