After four years and four straight postseason appearances, it is unlikely that Joe Maddon will return as manager of the Chicago Cubs in 2020.
In an article for The Athletic, insider Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs front office’s decision was essentially made for them after the team’s incredibly disappointing 2019 season, and a recent stretch that saw the Cubs go 0-10 in one or two run games. During this particular stretch, Chicago was getting in its own way with some poor play; they lead the NL in outs made while on the basepaths, and are tied for first in errors. To top it all off, the Cubs were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game series this past weekend- virtually ending their postseason hopes for 2019.
The disappointment has not been entirely recent, either. In 2018, Chicago was forced to play Game 163 after the Milwaukee Brewers ran them down in the NL Central division thanks to a late eight-game winning streak. The Cubs lost, and were left to play the Wild Card game against the Colorado Rockies. They lost this game, as well. Nevertheless, it was- technically speaking- a successful season marked by a playoff appearance. Thus, Maddon was safe.
Now, as 2019 comes to a close with the Cubs still in the midst of a free fall, the decision to relieve Maddon of his duties is essentially a foregone conclusion, and-truthfully-it should have happened one year ago, says Rosenthal.
Maddon’s firing should also come as no surprise to those paying attention to GM Theo Epstein’s comments at this year’s general manager meetings. During these meetings, Epstein stated that he did not have any complaints or frustrations when it came to Maddon and his leadership – but Maddon would not be rewarded with a contract extension after 2019.
More recently, Epstein added to the speculation that Maddon could be gone in the near future with his pointed comments on Chicago’s 670 The Score, stating that the Cubs were displaying “underachievement and uninspired play.”
Despite the news that their search for Maddon’s replacement is underway, no candidates have been named as of today.
