Former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is expected to be named the next manager of the Chicago Cubs according to multiple reports.

Maddon opted out of his contract with the Rays just weeks ago and the feel around the league was that he was ready to make a big splash somewhere else. The first reports were that the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to land Maddon, but as fast as the reports surfaced, they were dashed by the Dodger front office.

The Cubs now have one of the better managers in baseball, once the deal becomes official, and it would be the first huge step in the franchises history since signing Theo Epstein to be the President of Baseball Operations.

The Cubs team is incredibly young and raw, but with Epstein and Maddon at the helm, they should be competitors before long. Maddon was an expert at getting the most out of less talent in Tampa Bay and now will have the backing of a franchise that won’t be afraid to pump money into the product.

The MLB offseason is only one-day old, but the Cubs come out as huge winners already as they sign one of the biggest free agents on the market and he should pay dividends almost immediately. Look for the Cubs to be huge buyers this offseason and it starts with attempting to sign starting pitcher Jon Lester.

[ESPN]

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