With the Chicago Cubs having fallen from the security of a postseason berth to being on the outside looking in, manager Joe Maddon may be on his way out if this trend continues, which could pave the way for a first-time managerial candidate to earn his first big-time position.
Mark Loretta, who currently is serving as the team’s bench coach, has been mentioned as to be the leading candidate to take over for Maddon, according to MLB insider John Heyman, who spoke about this topic on Radio.com’s 670 The Score. Loretta, who was just hired in January for his first in-dugout role since he retired, previously worked the past nine seasons for the San Diego Padres in a front-office role.
With Maddon’s tenure leading the Cubs having come under fire the past few seasons, it is a safe guess to assume that Theo Epstein may use their late-season collapse as the final straw that broke the managerial back of Maddon. Not afraid to go out and make a big or surprising splash, it would not be surprising to see Epstein pull the plug on Madden and send him on his way after five seasons at the helm.
Having spent 45 seasons in professional-level baseball, including 26 at the major-league level and 14 as a major-league manager, Maddon will have plenty of suitors looking for his talents if he were to be let go. His 2018 season ended on a rocky note as well, with some rumors floating about that he may be let go at that time, but he was given another chance to prove his worth the following season, which may result in his ultimate departure.
If Loretta were to become the team’s next manager, he would undertake an interesting task for this team, which is held down by massive financial commitments and a roster that is full of potential but is having problems living up to those expectations. Keeping with the trend of hiring young managers, either that have previous playing experience or those that are more analytical in their management style, Loretta would be a better fit age-wise with the roster, which could ultimately help with relating to the players better.
Mark Loretta would end up being a shot in the dark for Epstein and the team’s front office, as taking a chance on an unproven former MLB player who just earned his first season of experience in a dugout on a team’s staff is a big pill to swallow. Even if Loretta were to be surrounded with plenty of previous managerial staff with his bench and base coaches, there would still be a ton of speed bumps to have to overcome during the offseason and regular season that would most likely make the Cubs’ front office and fan base a bit uneasy.
While the right choice in some regards, Loretta would represent a change in thinking by management, as Maddon was much more of a proven choice at the time that he was hired. Even if Loretta is highly thought of throughout the baseball industry, which Heyman apparently said that he is, having a well-known reputation only makes up for so much managerial inexperience.
The Cubs have a big offseason ahead for them, and figuring out their next direction at their managerial position will be key into how this team will shape up over this upcoming offseason.
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