Article: Joe Maddon is Out in Tampa. Could Twins Get Him?

[Paul Pleiss]

My thoughts on Joe Maddon coming to the Twins: Bahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahaha bahhhhhahahahahahahahaha. Never happening. bahahahahahahahaha

[The Wise One]

At his age, it is his last big contract before retiring or moving to front office. He goes where the money takes him. The Twins can afford him. Pay the guy.

Is he going to sign a 10 year contract? If it is the thought people have to retire at a specific age as you have to retire, that law was changed awhile ago. He has more than enough to retire on now.

Is there some other arbitrary age where someone is too senile to hold a job. At his age? What kind of arbitrary analysis is that?

Edited October 25, 2014 by The Wise One

[mbents]

What do you always hear from free agents?  I want to go someplace where I can win a championship.  At age 60.  I really don't think money is the main concern.  He wants to go some place where he can win.  The Twins and the Cubs both have strong minor league systems, will that be the determining factor?

 

Would you rather face the Cardinals, Pirates, Reds and Brewers or is your road to the postseason easier facing the Royals, the fast fading Tigers, the Indians and White Sox?

 

If I'm turning 60 and know this is my last chance to put myself in a position to win a world series, I would ask myself where can I win.  What situation gives me the best shot of making the post season.  What organization would benefit the most from the skills I could bring to the job?

 

I'm not sure money would be the deciding factor.  I think Joe will decide based on the probability of winning a world championship.  Period.

 

Actually, money does seem to be a big part of this. This MLB Trade Rumors story cites a couple different sources saying Maddon wants a salary in line with what the top managers make.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/10/latest-on-joe-maddon.html

 

These are the two most relevant points:

• Joel Sherman of the New York Post spoke with Maddon on the phone and was told that Maddon didn’t feel the Rays would commit to him the dollars he was hoping for on a new contract. Maddon, 60, has had jobs throughout his career where his salary was dictated to him, and he felt this would be his last chance to find out how the open market would value him.
• Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that Maddon was looking to be compensated with a deal that would’ve paid him like one of the top two or three skippers in the game, meaning something north of $5MM per season.

I'm sure going to a team that has a chance to win in the near future is important, but market value compensation also sounds pretty important to him.

[Jack Torse]

Resign in tampa to go to Minnesota. Ialto coming! The vivid imaginations are like reading comedy. The 90 loss seasons, cold weather, bad players, and penny pinching owner may be too much for a repected mlb manager looking to upgrade to look past.

[Pius Jefferson]

Yet the worst franchise in sports the Cubs are the rumored leader for Maddon. 

[Highabove]

Tampa beat writer Buster Onley told Pat Reusse on his show that  Maddon raves about Minneapolis and loves the Ball Park. Take it for whatever it's worth.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Highabove

[minn55441]

I'm sure going to a team that has a chance to win in the near future is important, but market value compensation also sounds pretty important to him.

 

 

I'm not saying that he isn't going to sign for the market value.  He will sign for 4, 5 or 6 million per year.  What I am saying is that of the teams that make a credible offer, the one team he chooses will ultimately be the one with the best chance to win a championship.  He left a contract that was paying him roughly 6 million over 3 seasons.  He did not leave Tampa to sign for the same money else where.  Of the teams that are willing to pay him the 4 to 5 million per year over 4 or 5 seasons, he will not make the decision based on total dollars. 

 

Like all athletes, coaches in his position, he wants to win.

[jorgenswest]

Is he going to sign a 10 year contract? If it is the thought people have to retire at a specific age as you have to retire, that law was changed awhile ago. He has more than enough to retire on now.

Is there some other arbitrary age where someone is too senile to hold a job. At his age? What kind of arbitrary analysis is that?

Several are saying he won't come to Minnesota. If the money is big enough, he will come.

 

I didn't know I would have to be clear about the age. I will try again. Most people at 60 are thinking forward to retirement. Whether he stops at around 67 like LaRussa or Leyland or goes longer, in his mind he has to be thinking one big contract. So no, there isn't a retirement age. There is a peak to the opportunity. He will never be more respected. No team would be concerned about his age at 60. I think he opted out because he is aware that he is at peak value.

 

Anyone motivated can buy high. Will the a Twins buy high?

[tobi0040]

5 years, 25+ million bucks. Just make it happen. He might want the job, actually.

 

I actually agree on paper that he might actually want the job. Part of this is a money grab, certainly.  But I also think part of it is timing.  I think Maddon is looking out in the future and he sees a pipeline that is not as strong as it has been for the Rays. He is highly regarded but that can change in a year or two with a .500 team.

 

The Twins and Cubs to me would seem like two places where he could go and it would appear he "turned things around".  Admittedly, the Cubs are roughly on par talent-wise and will pay him more money.  That is likely where he ends up. I don't see the Twins dropping $5M on a manager, even though I think it would be a great move.

[jay]

I find it interesting that so many people recognize he has a choice and that choice might very well not be the Twins for any number of reasons despite a limited number of suitors.

 

I wish that rational line of thought would extend to free agent players a bit more often and not just free agent managers.

[shs_59]

5 years and 15-25 million.

 

I would be extatic.

 

If Cubbies or Dodgers get him i'd be un-happy

 

especially the Dodgers....Cubbies would be my new Fav. NL team , i've always respected them from afar.

 

Opurtunities like this, don't come every year, more like twice a decade.

 

COME ON TWINS!

[tobi0040]

I find it interesting that so many people recognize he has a choice and that choice might very well not be the Twins for any number of reasons despite a limited number of suitors.

I wish that rational line of thought would extend to free agent players a bit more often and not just free agent managers.

Of course he has a choice. But the difference is a 5m manager is 3 to 4 million more than what molitor is likely to get. A big free agent pitcher may be 20 million more than a replacement type signing

 

Even still most agree we are not going to pony up, as the article alluded to

[Champuckett]

We started this offseason with an unexpected move of firing Ron Gardenhire.  How many here or elsewhere predicted that?  If you don't think we are capable of pulling something unexpected and unTwins like, then I guess we already forgot what happened only a month ago with Gardy.  With that said..

 

Terry Ryan has repeatedly stated that he does not want someone only from the inside of the club, or the outside, or any side.. he wants the best man for the job of manager for the Minnesota Twins.  

 

Up until Thursday, the best man available for the job was debatable and there have been numerous threads here and on other sites discussing just which manager it would be.  Who is it going to be?  Molitor, Steinbauch, Mientkiewicz, Martinez, Lovullo?  Hysteria.

 

On Friday, Maddon opts out from Rays.  Mass Hysteria.

 

There is no longer a debate about who is the best manager that is available.  We know it, Terry Ryan knows it, the baseball world knows it.  It's obvious, and if Terry Ryan keeps to his word, he will make a sizable offer to Maddon assuming we get an interview with him.

 

Maddon is the best man for the job.

 

Whether or not Maddon wants to come to Minnesota is the only thing I'm concerned about  Everyone apparently knows exactly how much he wants to come here and everyone says he wants to coach in a big market and he loves Chicago or LA.  Many clubs that people were already predicting he would be interested in (Dodgers) already declined to have Maddon stating they are sticking with their current manager.

 

That's what fans and reporters have been saying.. alright, but it's not what Joe Maddon has been saying.  We haven't even heard from the guy on the subject.  Let's wait and find out if we interview him for the job how excited he is.  We'll know at that point where he stands and if we have a chance at hiring the best manager in baseball.

[PseudoSABR]

LEN3

And Maddon is interested in speaking with the Twins, according to a person close to the two-time American League Manager of the Year

 

Heh.

[HitInAPinch]

Maddon is a known quantity.  The amount of money is inconsequential.

[tobi0040]

There is no longer a debate about who is the best manager that is available.  We know it, Terry Ryan knows it, the baseball world knows it.  It's obvious, and if Terry Ryan keeps to his word, he will make a sizable offer to Maddon assuming we get an interview with him.

 

Maddon is the best man for the job.

 

Whether or not Maddon wants to come to Minnesota is the only thing I'm concerned about  Everyone apparently knows exactly how much he wants to come here and everyone says he wants to coach in a big market and he loves Chicago or LA.  Many clubs that people were already predicting he would be interested in (Dodgers) already declined to have Maddon stating they are sticking with their current manager.

 

That's what fans and reporters have been saying.. alright, but it's not what Joe Maddon has been saying.  We haven't even heard from the guy on the subject.  Let's wait and find out if we interview him for the job how excited he is.  We'll know at that point where he stands and if we have a chance at hiring the best manager in baseball.

 

Absolutely spot on post.  Terry is doing his "due dilligence" to determine what?  To see if Maddon is a better option than Molitor or Doug?  We all know.

 

Ultimately, I am not trying to get too excited here. I don't think we are paying the guy $5M a year. Period.  I would love to be surprised.  But I am not looking to be let down.

[JB_Iowa]

Bruce Levine ‏@MLBBruceLevine  · 3h3 hours ago 
Alan Nero told me and Wayne Randazzo on the @670TheScore that he heard from 15 GM's about Joe Maddon in various jobs during last 30 hours .

[jokin]

LEN3

Heh.

 

I believe what Maddon was doing is called pro forma.   I think it's time for another Twins Daily poll to gauge the odds on him coming to the Twins....

[JB_Iowa]

SDBuhr ‏@JimCrikket  · 3m3 minutes ago 
Is Maddon really interested in talking to the Twins? Or really interested in having another bidder to make sure the Cubs pay max dollars?

 

 

Are the Twins really interested in Maddon or just going through the motions to pacify fans?

[PseudoSABR]

1) The Twins aren't even interested in Maddon!

2) If the Twins are interested in Maddon, Maddon probably has NO interest in the Twins!

3) If the Twins are interested in Maddon, it's only to pacify the fan base. 

4) If Maddon is interested in the Twins, it's only because he wants to drive up his own price. (What with those high-spending Twins!)

 

Some fans' cynicism knows no bounds. While I find it unlikely the Twins will sign Maddon, it's cheap speculation to question the sincerity of either party.  Both could really wish to form a relationship, and it not work out without incompetence or insincerity being part of the reason why.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Sign me up on this one. If they can work it out, I'd love to see him in MN. He's my first choice.

[JB_Iowa]

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/10/25/twinsights-joe-maddon-looking-big-challenge-agent-says/

 

There is a lot to think about in this story.

 

Maddon “looking for a big challenge”?  The Twins certainly present that.

 

But he is also “looking for an organization that’s committed to win. If those elements are together and the talent for them is quick, we’ll make it quick. If not, he’s prepared to take a year off.”

 

The only way I see Maddon in Minnesota is if the Pohlads get involved NOW.  Ryan alone can’t convince the fans (or a savvy Joe Maddon) of that commitment.  That has to come from ownership (remember the commitment to surround Mauer with talent?).

 

The challenge is big.  The prospects are there.

 

It’s time for the Pohlads to prove that they are committed to championship level baseball in Minnesota.

[tobi0040]

Sign me up on this one. If they can work it out, I'd love to see him in MN. He's my first choice.

 

He is my first, second, and third choice.

 

I would also like to note that for the cost of a good middle reliever (difference between Maddon's $5M and the $2M Molitor may make), the Twins ownership could dispel some of the cheap owner talk for awhile.  Heck, might even make MN a destination of sorts for free agents, within reason.

 

That $3M will go farther in this coach search than it will on the free agent market.  Not saying they will do it, but it seems a compelling case could be made.

[jay]

If you're Joe Maddon and the Cubs are offering $5M/year (likely more, actually), how much do the Twins have to offer to convince you otherwise?

[Tuba]

He has excelled with a small market team and a talented farm system. The Twins provide both and are currently manager-less.

[twinssouth]

What an opportunity that the Twins have. They stand as good a chance as any team in getting Maddon. He will bring a winning atmosphere to the clubhouse that they sorely need and total respect through out the organization. It appears he sees this as his last opportunity to go out a winner. As someone mentioned earlier, the Rays farm system is now ranked 20 to 23 in MLB. My guess is he wants to go to an organization committed to building a Championship team.

 

Its ironic in that Gardenhire was viewed as a winner when the Twins had all that talent and consistently winning the Division. The talent dries up, the Twins have 4 years of 90 plus losses and Gardenhire gets canned. Maddon may have seen something similar had he stayed with the Rays.

 

The Twins have a bright future that they can sell Maddon on. Offering a 5 year contract doesn't seem unreasonable. They should be able to hammer out the money. Plus, the big thing to me is over last couple of years, Maddon can start grooming his successor. Then we can start talking Dougie baseball.

[Zachary]

Take a shot. Why not? Even if he is expensive, it would be well worth the potential of quite literally turning the attitude of the club completely around.

[EephusKnuckler]

From the latest update on Rotoworld:

Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports that Joe Maddon is prepared to sit out the 2015 season to wait for the right managing opportunity, according to his agent Alan Nero.

 

...Nero added, "Joe’s looking for a big challenge. He’s looking for an organization that’s committed to win."

 

Kind of a conflicting statement from his agent, no? Some kind of fancy agent-speak there. He's basically saying that Maddon will go anywhere if they meet his salary demands. He wants a challenge, so that means he's willing to go to a bad team...but they must be "committed to win", which is kinda tough to prove if you're a crappy team, right? How do you prove that a team with four consecutive 90 loss seasons is committing to winning? By opening up the checkbook, and when have the Twins ever been willing to do that?

 

Just another sign that he'll end up with the Cubs. They've sucked for a long time so it would be a big challenge, plus they also look more "committed to win" than the Twins due to their recent hiring of a hotshot GM. And of course they'll be willing to pay more than the Twins.

Edited October 26, 2014 by EephusKnuckler

[Danchat]

"Committed to winning" is a very hard subject to define. Aren't all teams committed to winning? Are there teams out there committed to losing?

 

I think the Twins would be willing to open up the checkbook. TR seems to have a lot of power, so if he asks the Pohlads to stretch the payroll, they're going to agree-they'll do anything to win and they'll agree with basically everything TR does.

 

I have a feeling that Maddon isn't going to sit out 2015... he's definitely going to end up somewhere.

[Brian]

Would love to see him hired here but he doesn't seem to fit the Twins mold:

 

-Too expensive

-Too outside the box 

-Too big of a name 

-Not home grown

 

Hope I'm wrong though