The Los Angeles Angels announced Wednesday they have hired Joe Maddon to be their manager. 

The deal is for three years, two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports.  The people requested anonymity because that hadn't been announced. 

The two officials said the team informed Maddon, the former Cubs manager, he was their choice two days ago, beating out runner-up Buck Showalter. 

“We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans,” General Manager Billy Eppler said in a statement released by the team. “ Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive.  We believe Joe will be a great asset for our Club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series Championship.” 

The deal returns Maddon, 65, to the organization where he spent the first 31 years of his baseball career.  He began as a catcher, before starting a coaching career that led him to the major-league staff in 1994 as Mike Scioscia’s bench coach. 

Maddon left after the 2005 season to manage the Tampa Bay Rays, leading them to the 2008 World Series, and to a playoff berth in four of six years. 

He exercised an opt-out in his contract after 2014, and was hired by the Cubs, signing a five-year, $28 million deal.  He became their most successful manager in franchise history, leading the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908 and four consecutive playoff berths. 

He was fired after the season when they collapsed down the stretch, losing 10 of their last 12 games. 

The Angels, who fired manager Brad Ausmus after one year, also interviewed former manager John Farrell and San Diego Padres hitting coach Johnny Washington before hiring Maddon. 

Maddon, who never interviewed with any other club, is the first managerial hire of the winter with seven openings still remaining. 

He joins an organization that hasn’t won a postseason game in 10 years, reaching the playoff just once, despite having the game’s best player in Mike Trout. 

The Angels also are in a tumultuous time with the drug-overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, with public relations assistant Eric Kay informing drug enforcement agencies that he routinely provided Skaggs with illegal drugs, and that five players on the team were involved in drug use.