Theo on heat Joe Maddon is taking: ‘It’s not manager against manager’

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Cubs president Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon.

For all the heat that Joe Maddon has taken from media and fans this postseason, Cubs president Theo Epstein has his manager’s back.

“[The game is] not manager against manager. That stuff just gets under the microscope so much this time of year,” said Epstein, who has admitted to disagreeing at times with Maddon’s decisions — in particular, some bullpen moves last October and November. “It’s players performing. And when you get a lead in the series and when you get a bunch of relievers throwing well, you can make tactically aggressive decisions, and your strategies tend to work.

“When you’re in a tough spot late in the game, and you’re searching for consistency in the [bullpen], it just puts all managers in a tough spot.”

The Cubs’ bullpen walked 26 batters in 28 2/3 innings the first nine games of the postseason.

Case in point

The bullpen, which performed well overall this season despite the highest walk rate in the majors, had an especially rough time with command issues this postseason.

“That’s something we’ve got to take responsibility for and try to nudge it in a better direction this winter,” Epstein said.

Among those struggling the most were two of Maddon’s most trusted setup guys, Carl Edwards  Jr. and Mike Montgomery.

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“We still believe in them,” said Epstein, who could be faced with replacing pending free-agent closer Wade Davis this winter, which promises to be nearly all about pitching for the Cubs.

For much of the season, Edwards was considered a closer in the making. Even with periodic walk problems, he gave up only 29 hits in 66 1/3 innings this year.

“He’s had a few rough, real rough, moments this postseason,” Epstein said. “But he’s just going to grow from it, and it’s going to make him better.”

Bryzzo closed for maintenance?

The Cubs’ postseason hitting woes were summed up by the combined slumps of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

“Guys go through slumps, and you can’t pick your timing,” Epstein said. “It’s happened at a bad time for us, and for those guys. But you’ve just got to keep grinding. For us to [get to] this position without those two guys having great postseasons says a lot about this team as a whole and the depth of the 25 guys.”

It might also say something about the Cubs that they faced Stephen Strasburg twice, Max Scherzer twice (counting a relief appearance) and Clayton Kershaw twice. Those pitchers were expected to be the top three Cy Young vote-getters in the National League this year.

“We’ve had a disproportionate number of starts against the best pitching in baseball,” Epstein said.

Third watch

Raul Ibanez played with or against all of the American League’s standout third basemen over a nearly two-decades-long career that ended in 2014. He believes Bryant is up there with any of them.

But Ibanez, now a special assistant with the Dodgers, wouldn’t trade their guy — Justin Turner — for the Cubs’ guy, 2016 MVP season and all.

“These guys are both top-notch, but what Turner means to this ballclub is too important,” Ibanez said. “Watching him day in and day out, how special he is, what he does on the field, in the batter’s box, defensively, and also in the locker room with his leadership — he’s a tremendous player and a tremendous person, a superstar in every sense of the word.”

Contributing: Steve Greenberg

Follow me on Twitter @GDubCub.

Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com

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