Major League Baseball is investigating whether the Chicago Cubs broke any tampering rules when they hired Joe Maddon as their manager, the New York Post reported.
According to the report, MLB received a request from the Tampa Bay Rays to look into possible tampering by the Cubs.
As a result, the MLB’s Department of Investigation has begun a probe to determine whether the Cubs tampered with Maddon while he was still under contract with the Rays.
The question is whether Maddon opted out of this deal with the Rays while knowing that the Cubs wanted to hire him.
The Cubs and Maddon have already denied that any tampering was involved.
Last week, Alan Nero, Maddon’s agent, called the allegation “silly,” saying Maddon would have remained the Rays’ manager if the club had increased its offer to keep him.
It’s possible the two teams could work out a deal in which the Rays receive some sort of compensation, perhaps in the form of a draft pick.