In a clubhouse marked by cohesiveness and fun, the tension between Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and catcher Miguel Montero presented an odd situation during the offseason, but it appears that all is well in Cubdom as spring training begins.
Montero, who was critical of Maddon’s handling of his playing time during the postseason, posted a picture on his Instagram feed on Monday night of the duo hanging out at an Arizona nightspot, and they were all smiles as they shared a drink: [[414376483, C]]
The controversy started just a few days after the Cubs won the World Series last November, as Montero went on a Chicago-area radio show and complained about his lack of playing time and the lack of communication that he had with Maddon over the decision.
“I think the toughest part for me is they never communicated with me,” he said. “I’m a veteran guy. I expected to be treated a little better. I was expected to get communication. I never understood what my role was going to be.”
Maddon responded a few days later to the comments, saying that he “didn’t realize I hurt his feelings” and that he wished Montero had approached him directly instead of discussing the issue in the public sphere.
Since then, the two have publicly said that they’ve worked things out and that there are no issues going forward, but Montero is going to have to get used to diminished playing time, as Maddon has said that Willson Contreras will be the team’s primary catcher for the 2017 season.