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Rays Manager Joe Maddon Opts Out Of Contract

By Mike Dyce

Aug 17, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon (70) looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon (70) looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is opting out of his contract.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon has just shocked the baseball community world by opting out of his contract, according to a report from ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Roughly a week and a half ago Maddon reaffirmed his commitment to the Rays because the Los Angeles Dodgers announced the hiring of former Rays general manager Andrew Friedman as president of baseball operations. That move got the baseball world talking about Maddon and Friedman reuniting in Los Angeles.

Now that Maddon has opted out, you can only expect the rumors linking him to the Los Angeles Dodgers to intensify. Especially with the praise Maddon has bestowed upon Friedman lately.

“He’s off-the-charts bright,” Maddon said, via the Los Angeles Times. “He delegates well. He does not shy away from a difficult conversation. He’s one of the best evaluators I’ve ever met, and I don’t care what the birth certificate says. He’s very dedicated to scouting and player development.

“There is nothing he doesn’t do well.”

With the insanely large contract the Dodgers just threw at Friedman, $35 million over five years, they could be ready to throw a lot of money at Maddon. There are also other things that the Dodgers can do well that the Rays couldn’t that might motivate Maddon to sign with the Dodgers.

“You’ll have all the advanced thinking in the game,” Maddon said, “all the metrics, all the data. You’ll be on the cutting edge of everything. You’ll be able to afford any mind or any machine, to create whatever edge you can.”

Maddon has been a staple with the Rays, managing them since 2006 and leading them to a World Series in 2008. They’ve also won the AL East title twice in his tenure (2008, 2010) and made the playoffs as a wild card team twice (2011, 2013).

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