Long-time manager Joe Maddon has just stepped up to manage the Chicago Cubs.

A mere days ago, Maddon and the Cubs were on the verge of a mega deal that would turn the team's situation around.

While there is no concrete statement, people who were close to the parties involved divulged that the finalized contract has made Maddon the highest-paid managers in baseball and quite likely the best-paid in the National League.

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The standard is set by Mike Scioscia's, the manager of the Los Angeles Anaheim, who is being paid US $5 million annually.

Maddon on the other hand will get more than that per year, but the exact terms are not known.

Maddon has just finished as manager for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After stepping down, 10 teams were already showing signs of interest in acquiring him for a variety of positions. His preferential option was to manage.

He replaces Rick Renteria, who did a good job as a rookie manager.

The Cubs president, Theo Epstein, has long been an admired of Maddon. They intend to make a big splash in free agency this year and acquiring Maddon is the first step towards it.

Maddon's stepped in to manage the Rays previously in his career. He turned a 100-loss team into a contender in the AL East, going to the World Series and the postseason four times. The Rays were 745-705 under Maddon since he took over last 2006.

This is exactly the kind of turnaround that the Cubs hope to get out of Maddon as well. In 2014, they were 73-89, which was only a seven game improvement from the previous year.

However, the Cubs are hopeful for their upcoming season as they have brought out a multitude of talent in Javier Baez and Jorge Soles.

TagsJoe Maddon, Chicago Cubs, manager