Chicago Cubs Top 5 Managerial Candidates to Replace Mike Quade

Theo Epstein flew out to Florida to personally deliver the news to Cubs skipper Mike Quade that he is now an ex-Cubs manager.

Epstein did this as he has done everything during his brief time with Chicago—with class and dignity.

Further, Epstein called Ryne Sandberg to inform him that he would not be on the Cubs list of potential replacement candidates.

Again, a classy move by Theo.

But Epstein did mention that he has a list. And I am going to try and guess who the top five guys may be.

Now, these are not the men I would necessarily want managing the Cubs, just five guys (hmmm, why am I suddenly hungry for a burger?) that I feel may be on his short list.

Come join me for the ride and let me know where you think I'm wrong and who I am missing.

Dale Sveum

Dale Sveum recently interviewed with the Red Sox for their vacant managerial job, and if it's true that Ben Cherington and Theo Epstein think alike, why would he also be a candidate to manager the Cubs?

Sveum was a third base coach for the Sox, so Epstein and Jed Hoyer know him well.

Sveum would seem to fit for the Cubs or the Red Sox because he has faced the scrutiny of Boston, and so he could handle a managerial position in a rabid baseball town.

Sveum was often criticized as the third base coach with Boston, yet was always accountable when a player got thrown out at home.

He is into statistics and the use of spray charts, etc., and we all know how much Epstein likes his metrics.

He not only has coaching experience, he served as interim manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Though he was not retained, the players loved him.

Terry Francona

"Tito" is probably a long shot to return to a high pressure job after what he experienced in Boston, but he does want to manage again and he and Epstein experienced great success together.

Francona enjoyed his time managing in the Red Sox organization, and remains close to Epstein, even if their relationship got a bit strained toward the end.

In fact, he has relationships with all three of the new men in the Cubs front office, so he has to be on this list.

Personally, I feel that it is too soon for him to take on such a pressure-filled job, but stranger things have happened.

DeMarlo Hale

This is going to sound bad, but Epstein probably needs to have at least one minority candidate on his list.

But Hale would not just be a courtesy interview, he is thought to be managerial material.

A bench coach in Boston, he was a finalist for the Toronto job last year. He has extensive minor league managerial experience and is known a very good communicator.

Dave Martinez

Martinez makes sense for a variety of reasons.

First, he is one of the hot young managerial names being thrown around by almost everyone. He comes off of the coaching tree of Rays highly respected manager Joe Maddon.

Plus, he is a former Cubs outfielder who is known to be a sabermetric-friendly guy.

A Latino, Martinez could relate to the ever-increasing number of Latin ballplayers and is known to be a friendly guy with an outgoing personality.

Mike Maddux

Wouldn't a combination of Mike as manager and his brother Greg as pitching coach be a terrific duo for the Cubs?

Epstein and Hoyer are known to like ex-pitchers as managers, and if they can't take Bud Black away from the Padres (though they would like to), Maddux could be their next choice.

Maddux knows the NL from his days in Milwaukee, and the Cubs certainly could use his expertise with this pitching staff.

Mark Riggins was a disaster as Cubs pitching coach last season and this hiring would help fill two voids, even if his brother didn't join him.

Honorable Mention: Sandy Alomar, Jr.; Pete Mackanin; Rick Renteria; Tim Bogar