Holy Busy Weekend: Maddon, Renteria, Free Agent Rumors, Rooftops, Options, More

bn baseball featureFriday was Halloween, so, in that respect, I wouldn’t fault you for checking out early and heading to a party. Your costume as Chevy Guy was a probably a little too niche, but I appreciated it.

You did, however, miss a crazy ton here at BN while you were partying, and then recovering for two days. I think it was just about as busy around here as a typical weekday. So, if you did miss anything, catch up:

Friday, October 31

  • In the afternoon, the Cubs finally made their move: Rick Renteria was dismissed as manager, opening the door, officially, for Joe Maddon.
  • Immediately before that decision, and you may have missed it for that reason, I wrote up some thoughts on relevant options decisions that had been made around the league (or haven’t yet been made, like Tsuyoshi Wada).
  • Saturday, November 1

  • In the wake of the Renteria/Maddon decision, we started talking about the coaching staff and what could happen next.
  • The Ricketts Family is reportedly close to purchasing two rooftop buildings, which could mean some good things going forward.
  • Joe Maddon’s introductory press conference will be Monday (today) at 2pm CT, but there was still a whole lot to say about the move to get him – including speculation on his contract, and a discussion of whether Tampa Bay may proceed with a tampering charge.
  • The Cubs officially picked up Jacob Turner’s $1 million option for 2015.
  • Trades! The Brewers picked up a bat in Adam Lind, sending Marco Estrada to the Blue Jays.
  • Two interesting arms came onto the market after their options were declined, Brett Anderson and Brandon Morrow.
  • Sunday, November 2

  • C.J. Edwards looked good in a relief inning in the Fall Stars Game, and we talked about his future in 2015.
  • Could Dave Martinez come over from Tampa Bay, joining Joe Maddon with the Cubs?
  • MLB Trade Rumors predicted the top 50 free agent signing spots, and the Cubs pretty much sign everybody.
  • Joe Maddon’s agent was on the radio, and his version of events that led to the Cubs signing Maddon really throws cold water on Tampa Bay’s tampering claim.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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