Could A Potential Joe Maddon Deal With The Chicago Cubs Oust Rick Renteria?

While team manager Rick Renteria has only completed the first year of his three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, it looks like he may potentially be in some trouble as Joe Maddon has reportedly been in talks with the ball club.

"Major-league sources say the Cubs, who have been in discussions this week with free-agent manager Joe Maddon, could have an answer by Friday," reports the Chicago Sun Times.

Maddon opted out of his contract as of October 24 and is looking to take his talents elsewhere in a team managerial position.

Maddon was able to completely turn around the Tampa Bay Rays bringing them to two AL East Titles, four post season appearances in the postseason and a 2008 World Series match-up.

According to a FoxSports.com report, "before Maddon took over, the team hadn't had a winning season in its 10-year history."

Maddon makes for a very good candidate for the Cubs however, accepting a deal with them would force Renteria out for one short tenure with the team.

Whether or not Maddon would be able to make an immediate impact is questionable for a team that has struggled so much with years of bad luck.

Renteria doesn't appear to be distracted by the speculation that has been going around about Maddon and a potential deal with the Cubs.

"I was hired nearly a year ago to be the Chicago Cubs manager.

Notwithstanding all the speculation, I continue to focus my offseason preparation on achieving the goal we established from the start: bringing a championship to Chicago," said Renteria in a statement Monday, according to FoxSports.com.

Renteria would possibly be outed before her got a solid chance to prove what he could do with the struggling Cubs all for the sake of winning.

He can however breathe a sigh of relief as SI.com reported that Maddon's agent released a statement saying that they are continuing talks with several other teams in the league.

Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison