Theo Epstein, GM of the two Red Sox World Series-winning teams of the last decade, is close to leaving the club for a job with the Chicago Cubs, according to Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald.
Epstein signed players like John Lackey, Carl Crawford, and J.D. Drew, who didn't work out, but to his credit he also signed bargain deals like Alfredo Aceves (for a recent example) -
Two baseball sources have confirmed that Theo Epstein is on the cusp of leaving his job as general manager of the Red Sox to accept a position with the Chicago Cubs that is believed to include powers greater than he has in Boston, with an announcement expected to be made "within the next 24 to 48 hours."
But it's not over -
The hangup in the negotiations has been twofold. One of them is that Red Sox ownership was still hoping to have Epstein remain with the team. The other is compensation: If Epstein is to leave Boston, said one source with knowledge of the negotiations, the Red Sox are going to want "something real."
If Epstein does leave, the Red Sox will need to hire a new GM and a new manager. Should be an eventful offseason, to say the least.
- In unrelated, but fantastic news, Bryan Stow has been released from the hospital.