Joe Maddon’s managerial free agency has drawn the attention of at least one former skipper.
Ozzie Guillen told the Chicago Sun-Times on Saturday he wants to return to Major League Baseball. Guillen, who previously managed the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins, apparently doesn’t need to be a staff’s head honcho, either, particularly if Maddon is leading the charge as manager.
“This is one guy I’d love to coach for,” Guillen said. “He’s a very good baseball man. And he’s not a guy who’s going to be looking behind his back thinking I want to take his job.
“I’ve managed before. Economically, I’m pretty good. I just want to be back in the game.”
Guillen spent eight seasons as manager of the White Sox from 2004 to 2011. He won a World Series with Chicago in 2005. The former major league shortstop last managed the Marlins in 2012 but was fired after Miami stumbled to a disappointing 69-93 finish.
Maddon spent the last nine seasons as the Rays’ manager. He brought Tampa Bay to new heights during his tenure despite the club’s low payroll. Maddon exercised an opt-out clause in his contract over the weekend, generating plenty of buzz about where he’ll land.
The Chicago Cubs, currently managed by Rick Renteria, have been considered one potential destination for Maddon. Guillen still lives in Chicago, so perhaps him coaching under Maddon isn’t as far-fetched as it seems on the surface.
“I’m not bigger than the game,” Guillen told the Sun-Times. “There’s a lot of managers who went back to coaching after they were managers. That doesn’t mean anything. I’m not better than them. Whoever thinks I can help, if they ask me, I don’t mind doing it.
“A lot of people ask me, will you coach again? Yes, I will. No matter for who. I (also) make it clear a lot of times that if I’m going to coach, I prefer to be in Chicago than anywhere else because it’s my hometown.”
Maddon and Guillen both have vibrant personalities. Someone should pitch a reality show if they ever share a clubhouse.
Photo via Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports Images
