Maddon's agent: Talk of tampering by Cubs is 'insulting'
It's been awhile since Cubs president Theo Epstein has spoken to the media on a widespread basis.
That will change Monday afternoon in a bar when Epstein and the Cubs introduce Joe Maddon as the franchise's 54th manager. A news conference will take place at the Cubby Bear, a watering hole across the street from Wrigley Field, which is under renovation.
Maddon no doubt is an exciting hire for the Cubs and quite possibly the right man to lead them to the next level. But do expect a few awkward moments, especially when Epstein is asked about his and the Cubs' treatment of Rick Renteria, whom they fired Friday after one creditable year on the job.
One area on which the Cubs can be expected to take the offensive is on the question of whether they "tampered" with Maddon by contacting him before he opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. That news came Oct. 24.
If the Rays file a complaint and are successful in proving the Cubs tampered, they could win some form of compensation, whether it's cash, a player or players or draft picks.
On Sunday, Maddon's agent took to the air to shoot down any notion that the Cubs tampered.
Alan Nero appeared on SiriusXM's MLB Radio Channel with Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden and said his client's and the Cubs' conduct over the past two weeks has been above board.
"The first contact with the Cubs was basically an email asking for us to prove there was an opt-out and Theo doing his due diligence," Nero told the radio duo. "He basically was in contact with the commissioner's office wanting to make certain there was approval.
"But prior to hearing from the Cubs, I mean literally, I had calls from 10 different teams, with offers for front-office opportunities and very strong media opportunities, all of which would have allowed Joe to stay out a year and allow him to basically commit himself to his charities for a year and wait for what appeared to be the best opportunity, because at the time, the only job that was open was Minnesota."
Nero reacted indignantly to any talk of tampering.
"Theo wouldn't even talk unless he had clearance from the commissioner's office and had proof there was an opt-out," Nero said. "It's silly to suggest that (tampering). If they want to pursue that, that's fine. It's very unfortunate.
"In my world, if someone who is part of your family has an opportunity to improve themselves, you give them your blessing and you allow them to move on and know that they're always welcome home. This accusation of tampering is really sad, and it's a bit insulting."
In their news release announcing Renteria's firing, the Cubs were careful to lay out a timeline of contact with Maddon that would portray them as pursuing Maddon properly.
"Last Thursday (Oct. 23), we learned that Joe Maddon - who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us - had become a free agent," Epstein said in a Cubs news release issued Friday. "We confirmed the news with Major League Baseball, and it became public knowledge the next day.
"We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe.
"While there was no clear playbook for how to handle this type of situation, we knew we had to be transparent with Rick before engaging with Joe. Jed (Cubs general manager Hoyer) flew to San Diego last Friday (Oct. 24) and told Rick in person of our intention to talk to Joe about the managerial job.
"Subsequently, Jed and I provided updates to Rick via telephone and today informed him that we will indeed make a change."
bmiles@dailyherald.com