Chicago Cubs: My top five candidates to replace Joe Maddon

It sure seems like Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon has stood at the top of the home dugout at Wrigley Field for the last time. So, who replaces him?

Even those who wants to see Joe Maddon replaced as the Chicago Cubs manager next season, at the very least, have to give  the game’s oldest active manager credit for bringing Chicago the World Series championship in 2016. Even those who think he made mistakes during that series credit Maddon for ending the 108 year drought of a championship – usually.

Three years later, with his team desperately clinging to long-shot hopes of earning a Wild Card berth in the National League, the narrative has changed. A four-game sweep at the hands of the rival St. Louis Cardinals assured the team won’t win the division crown in 2019.

So here it is – we’re likely watching the last handful of games Maddon will ever manage for the Chicago Cubs. That narrative will dominate the national and local media for the next week, and with good reason. There are several prominent managerial vacancies throughout the game – and Chicago would rank among the top gigs in the game for a lot of would-be candidates.

People all have very strong opinions on who should replace the two-time Manager of the Year. But here are my top five ideal (in ranked order) candidates to be the next skipper of the Chicago Cubs.