Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Is “Jacked Up” About The Building Cubs-Cardinals Rivalry

In sports, rivalries are everything. And one of baseball’s best — the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Chicago Cubs — is gaining even more steam during the offseason.

With the hot stove heating up, Jason Heyward remains one of the biggest names left on the market. And while he most recently played in St. Louis, he could be trading his red for some blue. After signing John Lester, the Cubs are keen on adding the outfielder, too, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

It would be a move worthy of Yankees–Red Sox and the teams are taking notice.

“Well, it’s a great rivalry,” Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville. “We’ve had some success in recent years, but they’ve done a really good job in building that club with kids through the draft and internationally. They’re well-positioned to be very competitive.”

Cubs manager Joe Maddon is also “jacked up” about facing the Cards this coming season. “I know they’re not going to back down. I know we’re not going to back down,” he said. “It’s no different than Red Sox versus the Yankees. It’s very good for baseball. I’m jacked up about it. Again, I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to be involved in this whole moment. I permitted myself to do nothing for the last month. I want to prevent myself to do nothing for the next two months. But at times like this, I do get a little bit excited about it when you bring it up.”

It might be December, but that first Bears-Birds match-up can’t come quickly enough

PHOTO:  Joe Maddon #70 of the Chicago Cubs speaks during a press conference prior to game three of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets at Wrigley Field on October 20, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)