Twelve years after a bitter breakup that rocked a franchise, the Cubs and Greg Maddux are about to bury the hatchet.
Barring a last-minute breakdown in talks, Maddux, according to sources, will sign a two-year contract worth an estimated $15 million, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.
When he arrives in camp Thursday for opening workouts, Maddux will become the final link in a dream-team rotation. The five golden arms will be a perfect postcard for chilled fans in Chicago, who may need evidence to believe Maddux is truly back.
Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry spoke with Scott Boras, Maddux’s agent, late Tuesday and apparently wrapped up a courtship that moved at a glacial pace over the winter. The saga entered another dimension last week when a low-fare airline made an open plea for Maddux to become a Cub through its TV and radio commercials. Rumors and speculation over where he would wind up continued through Tuesday when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner denied a television report he was about to add Maddux to his stable of All-Stars.
Strangely, Hendry didn’t even have Maddux on his radar screen in November when the free-agent season began. Eventually, though, he had second thoughts on Maddux. After getting permission from Tribune Co. to extend the team budget from the mid-$80 million range to more than $90 million, Hendry called Boras and made an initial offer on Jan. 13.
When the Dodgers expressed interest, Hendry sweetened the deal.
Maddux, 37, and the club parted on bad terms following the first of his four Cy Young Award-winning seasons in 1992. He didn’t believe the organization was offering market value. In the end, the Cubs and Atlanta wound up making similar five-year offers, but Maddux bolted for the Braves, citing their commitment to excellence.
Maddux joins Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Matt Clement and Carlos Zambrano, giving the Cubs the most promising five-man rotation in franchise history.
With Houston stealing a couple of Yankee aces this winter, a three-game series pitting Wood vs. Roger Clemens, Prior vs. Andy Pettitte and Maddux vs. Roy Oswalt could be reality TV at its finest.
Where Maddux fits in the rotation is to be determined by manager Dusty Baker, who could wait until the end of spring to announce the order. Maddux will get back his old No. 31.
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Maddux, according to sources, will sign a two-year contract worth an estimated $15 million.
