ST. PETERSBURG -- Manager Joe Maddon has exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and will not return to manage the Rays in 2015.
Maddon was signed to a three-year deal that was to run through next season.
"Joe Maddon has exercised an opt-out in his current contract, a contract which was not scheduled to expire until after the 2015 season," principal owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement issued by the club on Friday. "We tried diligently and aggressively to sign Joe to a third contract extension prior to his decision.
 
Joe Maddon opts out of contract, leaves Rays
 
As of yesterday afternoon, Joe enabled himself to explore opportunities throughout Major League Baseball. He will not be managing the Rays in 2015. Joe has been our manager for nine seasons, and the foundation of success laid during his tenure endures. We thank him for all that he's meant to the organization."
The news came as a surprise, since Maddon told reporters at the end of the season that he wanted to stay with the Rays for the final year of his contract.
Maddon becomes the second major piece of the Rays organization to leave this offseason. Andrew Friedman left his post as executive vice president of baseball operations last week to take a newly created position with the Dodgers as president of baseball operations.
"In Joe's contract, he had the ability to opt out if certain events took place, and one of those was if Andrew Friedman wasn't an employee of the club," Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said. "And the last several days, we worked with Joe to try and figure out a contract extension. And we engaged and made many offers and it became clear from his responses that it was not an exercise that was going to lead to an outcome, so he opted out yesterday. And we are turning the page to begin the process to look for a new manager."
After the Dodgers hired Friedman, Maddon dismissed the notion that he would become the manager of the Dodgers, who currently have a manager, Don Mattingly, under contract. Maddon's departure from Tampa Bay will no doubt reignite that speculation.
Over nine seasons with the Rays, Maddon accumulated a record of 754-705 and led the team to two first-place finishes, four postseason berths and the American League pennant in 2008. He was named the AL Manager of the Year in 2008 and 2011.
Bill Chastain / MLB.com
 

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