It’s been less than 36 hours since Joe Maddon and the Chicago Cubs split ways, and rumors already are swirling about where the famed manager will land next.
Count the Angels in as one of his potential bidders.
Los Angeles reportedly has some interest in picking up the 65-year-old, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, after firing Brad Ausmus on Monday. Ausmus spent just one year managing the Angels, leading his All-Star cast to a dismal 72-90 record in 2019.
It wasn’t the best year for Maddon, either. But he certainly has quite the résumé.
After joining the Cubs in 2015, Maddon helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series victory in 2016 and into the postseason in each of his first four seasons. The Cubs were staring down a 2019 postseason run at the beginning of September, but had their hopes dashed by a late-season collapse in which they went 10-16 in the final month.
Should he get the job, however, this would not be Maddon’s first time coaching the Angels. He previously served as a coach for Los Angeles from 1994-2005 (during which he filled multiple roles including first base coach, bench coach and even interim manager) before taking the job as the Tampa Bay Rays manager heading into the 2006 season.
