Joe Maddon was asked about Bryce Harper during a question and answer session during a charity event and Cubs fans are freaking out over his answer.
Here's how ESPN's Jesse Rogers phrased it.
Naturally media outlets picked up the quote and Cubs fans were immediately sent into panic mode, as it seemed that Maddon said the team had no chance at signing Bryce Harper.
But let's go to the video.
Just going off that exchange I simply think Maddon didn't want to address the question and that's why Jim Deshaies quickly moved on to avoid a longer awkward pause. And hey, even the guy who submitted the question and was there in person Tuesday night agrees.
Plus, just think about previous years. Has Maddon ever directly addressed the chances of the Cubs signing any specific free agent? And think about how this offseason has played out. It's pretty obvious the front office wants to go after Harper, but the hold up seems to be whether or not ownership will sign off on a big contract. If they really are being secretive and trying to keep things under wraps, then why would Maddon publicly say, "yeah, we're definitely going after him." This isn't to say the Cubs are or aren't going to make a serious effort to go after Harper, but at this point would Maddon even know either way? So yeah, I'm going to lean toward Maddon just didn't want to address the question. Yet, stories in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times gave more Maddon quotes and they aren't any better if you want Harper on the Cubs, which you should. Via the Chicago Tribune.
“We feel as though all the ingredients are in the bowl already,” Maddon said before conducting a fireside chat for the club. “It’s already there. To just go out and purchase guys because some kids had a tough year is probably not good form. “I’m all about development, as we’ve talked about. I’m with the guys, Theo and Jed, regarding trying to extrapolate more with the group we already have because there’s a lot more left. We’ve seen it. We’ve got to get it more out there consistently. “I know that’s where the guys are coming from in the office. And just to go out and purchase players to purchase players, you might not be getting better than you already have.”This is another reminder that Bryce Harper would have been the best hitter on the Cubs in 2018. So, maybe adding him to your team does actually make you better, Joe. Yet, those thoughts by Maddon echo what Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have said since November, emphasizing improvement from within rather than outside help. Of course, Theo was singing a different tune in October after the Cubs were eliminated in the Wild Card Game. Via the Chicago Sun-Times.
“When you go through winters like this it normally means you like the players that you have and we do,” he said. “So I think more than anything we feel like we have great players in place, we just have to get more out of them. We know that.” Maddon doesn’t believe there are any big deals lying ahead. “I’d be surprised if there was,” he said.The bigger point here isn't if Maddon really did drop the bombshell of the Cubs having no chance at signing Bryce Harper, rather that if ownership doesn't sign off on the front office making a legitimate effort to sign him then the Ricketts are stupid. I can't repeat this enough. The Cubs are in the middle of their championship window. The Cubs print money. The Cubs can afford Bryce Harper. There is no excuse not to go after him. Meanwhile, I'm going to spend way too much time over analyzing that Joe Maddon clip.
