Chicago Cubs Rumors: Could Joe Maddon take Rick Renteria’s job again?

According to some reports, Joe Girardi could be hoping to replace Joe Maddon if the Cubs make a managerial change. Could Maddon’s sudden availability put Rick Renteria out of a job again?

As the Chicago Cubs headed into the 2014 offseason, Rick Renteria thought that he was on top of the world. Despite another losing season on the north side, the Cubs were poised to be a contender in the very near future as the plethora of talented prospects were hitting (or about to hit) the major leagues.

It looked like Renteria’s time was about to pay off. And then, everything changed.

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Upon hearing that former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon was on the market, the Cubs tossed Renteria to the side like that ugly sweater you get from your great aunt every Christmas. Poor guy thought he was going to be bringing a championship to the North Side. Instead he got a pink slip before he could even get a solid reference for his next interview.

Jeez, and they say millenials aren’t loyal.

Maddon was everything that the Cubs were looking for in their next relationship. Hip, good with raising youngsters, smart, fashionable.

It certainly paid off for the Cubs, who finally ended their you-know-how-many-years drought under Maddon. It was just what they needed. Cubs fans were able to love again with no fear, knowing that they couldn’t possibly be hurt again.

But like so many relationships, things got stagnant. It wasn’t as perfect as it was three years ago.

Many fans clamored to move on in 2018, arguing that Maddon had lost his touch. Despite cries for the Cubs to fire Maddon, the team wasted no time in asserting that Maddon would return to the helm in 2019.

That’s great news for Rick Renteria. But if the past is any indication, Renteria shouldn’t feel secure in his job until the bus is packed for Arizona in February.

Could Renteria actually be dumped again for Maddon? It may not be as crazy as you may think.

One of the biggest selling points for the Cubs in hiring Maddon was his ability to develop and relate to young players. With an average age of less than 27 years old among Cubs hitters, it was crucial to the team’s future success.

Cubs players loved it. The team had themed plane rides, a magician and even a petting zoo.

Just three years later, the Cubs found themselves on the golf course at the beginning of October.

Sure, maybe the Cubs just crashed in 2018 because it’s b

een so long since they’ve gotten to pet an alpaca. Or perhaps the Cubs really should move on from Joe Maddon.

If the Cubs do decide to make a managerial change next year, it could work out perfectly for both Chicago teams. Former Cub and Illinois native Joe Girardi is reportedly holding out for a managerial job in Chicago should either the Cubs or White Sox move on from their current skipper.

Girardi was fired by the Yankees after winning 91 games and ultimately losing to the World Series champion Houston Astros in seven games of the the 2017 ALCS, so Girardi certainly has experience and talent. He also has experience managing and playing in a large market, unlike Maddon prior to his time with the Cubs.

Girardi also has a better winning percentage as a manager than Maddon and won his first World Series championship as a manager just a couple of weeks after his 45th birthday.

Heck, the custodial staff wouldn’t even have to change the first name on the manager’s office sign.

See? It’s perfect. The Cubs get a skipper with a winning resume and ties to the Cubs organization. Meanwhile on the South Side, the White Sox could send Renteria packing on behalf of Joe Maddon’s hiring for a second time.

With the youngest average age of hitters of just 26.5 years old, the White Sox could use Mr. Maddon right now. His abilities in developing prospects may be exactly what the Sox need to contend in the near future.

The Sox, who own one of the top five farm systems in all of baseball, may not an unproven manager with zero playoff experience at the helm when it’s time for the kids to develop and eventually contend. Enter Joe Maddon.

And the Cubs may need a change from Maddon, who has made more than his share of questionable managerial decisions and has reportedly upset a number of Cubs players with his constant lineup shuffling. Enter Joe Girardi.

So go ahead. Just roll the ole zoo wagon right down the Kennedy to Guaranteed Rate Field and switch that nameplate at Wrigley.

Don’t worry about Renteria, he’ll be just fine. I mean, if teams still think that Jim Riggleman is fit to manage a major league team, surely Renteria shouldn’t have a problem finding employment.