After the Chicago Cubs officially announced that manager Joe Maddon will not return for the 2020 season, the speculation over where he will end up is at the forefront of many minds in the baseball world.
As of the final day of the regular season, there are three confirmed managerial openings for the coming year, as Bruce Bochy is leaving the San Francisco Giants, Ned Yost is stepping down as manager of the Kansas City Royals, and Andy Green has already been fired from his post as manager of the San Diego Padres.
The Padres job could be especially attractive to Maddon, as the team is loaded with up-and-coming stars and has shown a willingness to spend money, as evidenced by the mammoth contract they gave to infielder Manny Machado last offseason.
A fourth job reportedly will also become vacant after the season, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates will fire manager Clint Hurdle.
If none of those jobs intrigue Maddon, there are several others that could fit the bill. Reports have already emerged that the Los Angeles Angels could potentially explore replacing manager Brad Ausmus with Maddon, who coached for the Angels for nearly three decades before taking his first managerial job with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The New York Mets could also come calling, as there’s a possibility that Mickey Callaway may not be back as the team’s manager next season. The Philadelphia Phillies, who missed the playoffs after shelling out big bucks for Bryce Harper during the offseason, could also be interested if they decide to move on from Gabe Kapler.
Maddon will surely draw plenty of interest from around the league, and in the press conference in which it was announced he wouldn’t be returning to the Cubs, he indicated that he is definitely interested in managing next season.
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“Hopefully I get the chance to do this somewhere else,” he said.
