The Tampa Bay Rays have long been a model of what baseball teams in small markets should do. Led by GM Andrew Friedman and manager Joe Maddon, the Rays made the playoffs four times and reached the 2008 World Series, becoming one of the biggest success stories in the sport.

After a disappointing 2014 season however, things are now changing in Tampa, as Friedman left earlier this month to become the President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Friday, the next domino fell, as it was revealed that Maddon had opted out of the final year of his deal with the Rays to pursue other options.

Speculation was rampant when Friedman was hired by the Dodgers that Maddon would eventually follow him to southern California, but according to various reports, Maddon isn’t interested in the job. With Don Mattingly getting a vote of confidence from Friedman when he was hired, the thought is that the team is at least a year away from looking for an alternative on the bench, but another team could potentially stand to benefit from Maddon’s resignation: the Cubs.

The Cubs do have manager Rick Renteria under contract for two more seasons, but according to several national baseball reporters, they are viewed as the frontrunner for Maddon’s services:

First guess from Maddon friends:Cubs, Mets — Peter Gammons (@pgammo) October 24, 2014

My guess on Joe Maddon: He eventually winds up with the Cubs. — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 24, 2014

Within industry, #Cubs viewed as a leading contender for Maddon. Renteria signed through 2016. Team could simply pay off rest of his deal. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 24, 2014

For what it is worth, lots of folks in game predicting Maddon ends up with #Cubs — maybe sooner than later — Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 24, 2014

Members of the Chicago media haven’t reported anything on the topic, but it’s still an intriguing idea. With a roster flush with young talent and a minor league system that’s preparing to churn out even more players (Kris Bryant was named the best offensive player in minor league baseball on Thursday), the Cubs have a lot of similarities to the Rays teams that Maddon piloted to four playoff appearances, and unlike Tampa, the Cubs actually have the financial resources to go out and secure top-tier talent rather than just watching it leave town as soon as it’s able to.

 All of the Cubs’ talk this offseason has been about their goal for 2015, which is to win the NL Central. Going out and getting a player like James Shields, Cole Hamels, or Jon Lester could be a huge boost to those chances, but adding a guy like Maddon to the mix would be an absolute coup. With playoff experience, a unique style, and most importantly of all, an ability to command respect from his players, Maddon would seem to be a tailor-made fit in Chicago, and the Cubs would be wise to look into his interest immediately.

There are some downsides to the plan, to be sure. Renteria was brought in specifically to work with young Latin American players like Starlin Castro, Javier Baez, and Jorge Soler, and he did exactly that. Castro had a bounce back year after a subpar 2013, and Soler came into the big leagues crushing the ball with regularity. Anthony Rizzo also responded well to the first year of the Renteria experiment, and while Maddon does have a reputation for getting a lot out of younger players, it’s unclear whether firing Renteria would send a bad signal to players like Castro and Baez.

That reality leaves the Cubs with an interesting decision to make. Maddon is clearly the best available candidate on the market, but does his availability fit in with the time frame that the team is working with? If this had occurred last season, there’s little doubt that the Cubs would have aggressively pushed for him, but Renteria’s two remaining years and success in working with Castro casts some doubt on a change.

It will be an interesting situation to follow, and the Cubs’ approach to the situation will be a great indicator of where they feel they are in their rebuilding process.