MLB rumors: Will Cubs fire manager Joe Maddon and hire ex-Yankee Joe Girardi?

The Chicago Cubs might fire manager Joe Maddon after losing to the Colorado Rockies in the National League Wild Card Game on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 (10/2/18). Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi could be a candidate if Cubs president of baseball operationsTheo Epstein decides he’s had enough of Maddon.

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Will the Chicago Cubs be looking for a new manager?

That seems to be one of the big questions following Chicago’s 13-inning loss to the Colorado Rockies in the National League Wild Card Game on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

If the Cubs decide to move on from manager Joe Maddon, would ex-Yankees manager Joe Girardi be in the running?

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tackles that question:

Whatever Maddon’s faults, it’s difficult to imagine the Cubs firing him if their biggest complaint is that (Theo) Epstein finds him annoying or difficult to work with. Any manager who replaced Maddon would be hard-pressed to match his success, not to mention his charisma and popularity.

Dave Roberts, who worked one season as a Padres coach during Hoyer’s tenure as San Diego GM, might be a sensible fit, but the Dodgers hold an option on him for 2019 and are talking to him about a new deal, according to the Los Angeles Times. Joe Girardi, who is from East Peoria, Il., attended Northwestern and played for the Cubs from 1989 to ’92 and 2000 to ’02, almost certainly would relish a chance to return to Chicago, but the Cubs might want a lesser name. The promotion of bench coach Brandon Hyde from within or hiring of another less experienced type from the outside would come with its own risk.

If Epstein is thinking about replacing Maddon, it might be because he does not want to give the manager an extension, and doesn’t want the distraction of employing a lame duck manager next season. The Cubs, though, don’t need to give Maddon an extension just yet. Epstein, Hoyer and Jason McLeod, the vice president of scouting and player development, all worked on the final years of contracts before receiving their new deals in late September 2016.

The logical move would be to bring back Maddon for his final year and see what happens. But the way teams evaluate managers these days, convention no longer applies.

Yankees’ Wild Card roster

Despite many managerial openings in 2018, Girardi has not found his way back to the dugout.

The Minnesota Twins fired Paul Molitor on Tuesday, but Girardi is not on the initial list of candidates.

The Reds canned their manager in April, but Cincinnati’s short list doesn’t include Girardi.

The Cardinals fired their manager in July, but Saint Louis kept the position in-house.

The Blue Jays parted ways with John Gibbons, but Toronto is looking to get younger in the dugout.

Mike Scioscia left Los Angeles, and the Angels are looking at an ex-Yankee to replace him, but it’s not Girardi.

All hope is not lost for Girardi. The Baltimore Orioles could be ready to move on from Buck Showalter. The Texas Rangers are done with Jeff Banister. So Girardi still has a couple of potential avenues to return to the dugout for 2019.

Girardi left the Yankees following their Game 7 loss to the Houston Astros in the 2017 American League Championship Series.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.