Rick Renteria Fired as Cubs Manager: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Chicago Cubs confirmed the dismissal of Rick Renteria as manager in a move widely expected in recent days. The club has been heavily linked to Joe Maddon, who left the same post with the Tampa Bay Rays last week.

Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune provided word of the team's decision, which was also announced on the Cubs' official site:

Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald passed along comments from president of baseball operations Theo Epstein about the situation:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes the Cubs offered Renteria other positions within the organization before the two sides parted ways:

Epstein also commented on the Maddon possibility, as noted by Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago:

Renteria was hired last November and led the Cubs to a 73-89 record in a division that produced two playoff teams. It was a seven-game improvement over the previous season as the rebuilding process continues in Chicago.

Last month, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reported that Epstein even went as far as to confirm the plan was to bring the 52-year-old skipper back for another season. But, as Nightengale mentioned, the team reconsidered after Maddon became available.

After he exercised an opt-out clause in his contract, the former Rays manager immediately became one of the most coveted commodities on the market. He went 754-705 in nine seasons in Tampa, including four playoff appearances with a squad often considered to have less talent than its counterparts.

So far, nothing official has been announced between Maddon and the Cubs. That said, the decision to let Renteria go, along with the comments from Epstein, certainly makes it seem like things are trending in that direction.

The position is now open.