The Los Angeles Angels, who dismissed manager Brad Ausmus at the end of the regular season, got their man on Wednesday.
Joe Maddon, the former manager of the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs, signed a three-year deal to become the AL West franchise’s new manager beginning in the 2020 season.
Maddon, considered to be one of the most respected managers in the game, is believed to be set to make between $12 and $15 million over the length of his contract.
The Pennsylvania native will return to the team that gave him his first coaching and managerial opportunity in the big leagues (albeit in an interim capacity). The 65-year-old spent 1994 to 2005 with the Angels.
After leaving the Angels, Maddon took over as the Tampa Bay Rays’ manager, where he transformed the once-lowly franchise into perennial playoff contenders.
Maddon then jumped to the Chicago Cubs in 2015, where he won two NL Central championships and the franchise’s first World Series title since 1908 in a magical 2016 season before parting ways with the franchise after the end of this year.
Now, the affable manager will be tasked with leading the Angels to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, rekindling the flame of a franchise that has failed to succeed despite having the game’s best player, Mike Trout.
