Maddon suddenly an appealing option for Twins manager

Is the Twins' managerial search about to turn into Maddon-ness?

The club is expected to contact Joe Maddon to gauge his interest in its vacant managerial position, a person with knowledge of the Twins' search process said Friday, the day Maddon chose to leave the Tampa Bay Rays after nine seasons.

And Maddon is interested in speaking with the Twins, according to a person close to the two-time American League Manager of the Year.

As of Friday evening, the Twins were not among the several teams that have reached out to Maddon or his agent, Alan Nero, according to sources, but that will change.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan on Friday would not confirm his interest in Maddon but said: "As the case with anyone who is out there, I have to do my due diligence."

The Twins' managerial search is in its fourth week, with Twins coach Paul Molitor, Class A Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz and Boston coach Torey Lovullo believed to be the top three candidates to replace the fired Ron Gardenhire. The Twins have received an extension from the Red Sox to continue their interest in Lovullo, who has interviewed once and will get an additional interview soon, according to a person familiar with the search. The club has interviewed Molitor three times and Mientkiewicz twice.

Keep in mind that there are only two major league clubs without managers: the Twins and now the Rays. There are rumored to be teams willing to sack their managers in order to bring on Maddon — a reflection of how highly teams think of the erudite 61-year-old.

Maddon became available because he had a two-week window to opt out of his contact, which ran through 2015. The clause was triggered by the departure of executive VP Andrew Friedman to the Dodgers. Tampa Bay tried to sign Maddon to an extension, but talks fell through and he opted out Friday.

"I have been doing this for a long time," Maddon told the Tampa Bay Times. "I have never had this opportunity to research my employment on my terms. Never, never, never. And I think anybody given the same set of circumstances would do the same thing."

Some reports have Maddon seeking a whopping deal, perhaps as much as $5 million a season. That could scare off many teams — the Twins paid Gardenhire about $2 million last season.

Speculation immediately pointed Maddon toward the Dodgers and a reunion with Friedman. The Dodgers, according to reports, aren't interested. But one scenario could have Maddon joining the Dodgers as the general manager and be an option next season if the Dodgers get off to a slow start and want to replace manager Don Mattingly, who is signed through 2016.

Twins fans on social media were quick to clamor for Maddon upon learning of his availability Friday. "I can understand the thought process," Ryan said of fans' longing for Maddon. "It makes sense."

The Twins announced the signing of six players to minor league contracts: Righthander Mark Hamburger, second baseman Tony Thomas, outfielder Danny Ortiz, outfielder Reynaldo Rodriguez, first baseman Michael Gonzales, righthander Adrian Salcedo and catcher Jairo Rodriguez.