With the news of Joe Maddon being out as the Chicago Cubs’ manager, where this team goes from here will be a dominating question throughout the entire offseason. While the Cubs have dominated the National League in terms of playoff appearances and even a World Series title, is the proclaimed ‘dynasty’ for the Cubs done? Or did it even occur?
When Maddon was brought in in 2015, he was undertaking a team that had underachieved for the vast majority of the 2000s, dealt with many different managers across that same timeframe and was dealing with the large Chicago market and their subsequent expectations.
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Willson Contreras have all risen into the big-time players that they are now for the Cubs, and Maddon has had a huge roll in their development. Coming from the smaller franchise of the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon was built on player development and relationships, and he has been able to successfully bring that to Chicago, albeit not successful enough.
So the dynasty that looked to be getting its feet on the ground at Wrigley Field looks to be taking a step backward with the departure of Maddon, although it may depend on who you ask if this is a bad step for this franchise. Four consecutive postseason appearances, all five seasons of above-.500 baseball and player development that helped turn youngsters into perennial All-Stars are all on the list of accomplishments for Maddon, yet he was not welcomed back.
There always seemed to be a piece of this team missing, as they made a large jump from not competing to spending a boatload of money on free agents and acquiring big names at the trade deadline. Most teams are not able to make such a large jump into contention, and while most teams also are not afforded the ability to have someone like Maddon come in and lead the team and Theo Epstein to help coordinate all personnel and financial aspects in the front office, the Cubs took advantage of that grouping.
The Cubs still have all the player pieces on the team, although rumblings of financial limits may make them entertain the idea of trading third base cornerstone Kris Bryant. The aspect of this team being a dynasty is alive and well, provided the core of this team is not torn apart this upcoming offseason.
Likely candidates to replace Maddon, like former Cubs backstop David Ross and current bench coach Mark Loretta, can all help keep this team on the right path and in playoff contention on a yearly basis, but each would have his downfalls that could hold this team back more than any issues that Maddon brought to the team. Of these two candidates, Ross looks to be the better candidate of the two, even without any previous managerial experience.
Both Ross and Loretta are former players, but Ross was on this Cubs’ team and understand the culture and front-office dynamics, which may translate into a better transition than what Loretta could present. On the other side of the conversation, Loretta is currently on the team’s coaching staff and could be more in-tune with what it takes to be this team’s manager.
Ross is currently in the booth analyzing MLB games, and while his time away from the dugout gives him a break, it also allows him to understand what all other teams are doing and how he could potentially use that for managerial gig down the line.
In terms of players, this team is capped out financially in 2019, but they do have a few ways to earn a bit more space for 2020. With Yu Darvish holding an expensive player option that would make him one of the highest-paid players on the team next year, the injury-plagued former Texas Rangers starter has a ton to prove to management and the fan base that he can justify the huge contract that he has.
Overall, this team has a bunch of important decisions coming up to justify if their team constitutes a dynasty and one that can continue even through a few bumps in the road. Choosing the right manager that can help lead this team back to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus is key, especially for a hungry team that has a huge bill to pay every year.
A constant factor in the race for the NL Central division, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers still have to worry about the Cubs on a yearly basis, but 2020 may turn into a transitional year for the club’s new manager.
Is the team’s dynasty over? Not sure if it ever started? Let the Cubs 2020 season decide that for you.
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