CHICAGO -- The Cubs were cleared Wednesday of tampering charges in connection with the hiring of manager Joe Maddon.
Major League Baseball issued a statement saying it had concluded its tampering investigation regarding Maddon's departure from the Rays and his subsequent hiring as manager of the Cubs. MLB said the investigation produced no finding of a violation of Major League Rule 3(k) on tampering.
When Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman left to take a job with the Dodgers, Maddon exercised an opt-out clause in his contract with the Rays, and he was named the Cubs' 54th manager in franchise history on Nov.