Joe Maddon will not return as manager of the Chicago Cubs next season. Maddon and Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein announced the move before the Cubs regular season finale Sunday in St Louis. His contract expired after the game. The Cubs ended a 108 year World Series championship drought under Maddon in 2016 when they beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games. Under his guidance, they also made it to the NL Championship Series in 2015 and 2017 and were a wild card team in the NL last season. It was thought that the Cubs will reach the postseason in 2019 but a rash of injuries to key players and inconsistant pitching from the starters and the bullpen led to their faltering down the stretch with a nine game losing skid. The parting was amicable with Maddon thanking the organization for his five years at the helm and Epstein saying that Maddon will always live on favorably with the Cub heirarchy and fans for the 2016 World Championship. But Epstein and Maddon agreed that it was time for a change.