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Theo Epstein

Central Notes: Ventura, Ordonez, Sizemore, Epstein

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If the Tigers win the ALCS, we could see the first all-Central World Series since St. Louis topped Detroit five years ago.  Today's AL and NL Central links…

  • The White Sox announced they'll introduce new manager Robin Ventura tomorrow at an 11am central time press conference.  ESPNChicago's Doug Padilla reported today that Mark Parent will come aboard as Ventura's bench coach and Joe McEwing will serve as the third base coach.  Jeff Manto is ahead of Tim Laker in terms of hitting coach candidates, Padilla reports.
  • The Tigers' Magglio Ordonez re-fractured his ankle Saturday, reported MLB.com's Jason Beck.  The right fielder will see specialists after returning to Detroit, tweets Tom Gage of the Detroit News.  Ordonez, 38 in January, is eligible for free agency this winter.
  • "It seems highly unlikely" that the Indians will exercise their $8.5MM club option on center fielder Grady Sizemore, opines MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  The Indians revealed Tuesday that Sizemore had a right knee arthroscopy but is expected to be ready for Spring Training.  Should the 29-year-old reach free agency, I'd rank him around 30th on my top 50 list.
  • A rival executive talked to ESPN's Buster Olney on Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and the Cubs: "If he met with the Cubs, what it means is that if he gets the offer he wants, he's gone [to Chicago]."  Earlier today, however, SI's Jon Heyman wrote that most baseball insiders "believe it's more likely than not [Epstein will] remain in Boston, at least for now."
  • Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez reflected on this summer's trade, telling Mike Puma of the New York Post, "I'm winning, and [the Mets] needed pretty much to get rid of me."  K-Rod told Puma he holds no grudge toward the Mets.
  • Of the 11 Pirates players eligible for arbitration this winter, only Joel Hanrahan, Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton, and Evan Meek are absolutely certain to be tendered contracts, writes MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.  She notes that "if the Pirates do not intend to tender a contract to someone on the list, there is a good chance that player will be removed in November so that the Pirates can open up roster spots to protect players from being taken in the Rule 5 Draft."  Click here for MLBTR's projected salaries for the Pirates' arbitration group. 
  • The chances of lefty Paul Maholm returning to the Pirates next year are less than 50-50, in the opinion of Langosch.  I'd say Maholm ranks toward the back end of the top ten free agent starters this winter.
  • Check out my offseason outlooks for the Cubs and Astros.

Henry & Lucchino On Epstein’s Future

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Red Sox owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino declined to discuss the Cubs’ request to talk to GM Theo Epstein this morning, insisting that rival teams express interest in Boston’s personnel every year. In an extended appearance on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan Show, Henry allowed that a “certain protocol in this game” generally dictates that teams allow employees to consider promotions.

Epstein could theoretically add president to his title in Chicago, which would be considered a promotion. It’s fair to assume that the longtime GM will move on from his current role at some point, though the transition won’t necessarily occur in the near future. 

"I think there's a certain shelf life in these jobs," Henry said. "If you're sane, you can only be the general manager, you can only be the manager for a certain period of time. … Theo is not going to be the general manager forever."

Henry confirmed that the Red Sox would probably not have picked up their two-year $8.75MM option for Terry Francona after the season. The owner suggested that the decision to part ways wasn't completely mutual, since Francona made a decision before his bosses did.

Epstein has been searching for Boston’s next field manager along with assistant GM Ben Cherington. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com hears that Dale Sveum is a candidate on their list. The former Red Sox coach has managed on an interim basis in Milwaukee.

Red Sox Notes: Epstein, Francona, Reddick

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Everyone in baseball expects the Cubs to offer Theo Epstein their GM job, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link) and a slight majority expect that the Red Sox GM would turn such an offer down. Here are today's Red Sox-related links…

  • Former manager Terry Francona appeared on WEEI's The Big Show and explained that he considers Boston's ownership "second to none." Francona acknowledged that he and Epstein "butted heads" at times, not that it’s a surprising admission given the public, stressful nature of their jobs. Francona added that he's interested in managing in the right situation next year.
  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com looks back to 2002, when the Red Sox, then under new ownership, tried to end their championship drought by hiring an established GM (Billy Beane of the A's). If that sounds familiar, it's because the Cubs now want Epstein to end their title drought. 
  • Bradford also explores the issue of compensation – it was discussed nine years ago and would come up again since Epstein is under contract in 2012.
  • The Boston Herald looks ahead to next year's outfield and says the Red Sox will look to add a younger, more durable player to replace J.D. Drew. Josh Reddick and Ryan Kalish are internal options for Boston.

Red Sox Rumors: Managerial Candidates, Epstein, Pitching

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The Red Sox are in the news every day right now; here's the latest…

  • The Sox have not finalized a list of managerial candidates to interview, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.  Name candidates such as Joe Torre, Tony La Russa, and Bobby Valentine are not thought to be on Boston's list, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.  Instead, the top candidates appear to be Dave Martinez, Pete Mackanin, and Sandy Alomar Jr.  It seems possible that the Red Sox will have to go head-to-head with the White Sox in their manager search.  McAdam notes that as a member of the coaching staff of former manager Terry Francona, DeMarlo Hale is unlikely to be interviewed.  
  • The Cubs asked the Red Sox permission to speak with GM Theo Epstein, reported Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe yesterday.  Red Sox management spent the day discussing the request; WCVB TV's Mike Lynch wrote that they could ask for compensation just to talk to Epstein, or they could collect compensation later.
  • The relationship between Epstein and Red Sox president Larry Lucchino has gotten much better, according to Peter Gammons.
  • Bradford takes an in-depth look at the Red Sox pitching staff.  He finds the team unlikely to pursue a big-name starting pitcher.  Bradford feels Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves could be starting candidates next year, Andrew Miller's $3MM option will be exercised, and Tim Wakefield might have to continue his career elsewhere.

Cubs Ask Permission To Speak With Epstein

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The Cubs have asked the Red Sox for permission to speak with GM Theo Epstein, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox held meetings at Fenway Park today regarding their response to the Cubs' request, according to Shaughnessy. Epstein is under contract through 2012, so the Red Sox would have to grant permission to the Cubs if Epstein is indeed interested in the Cubs' open GM job. In the event that the Cubs try to hire him, the Red Sox will likely ask for compensation.

Epstein has led the Red Sox to two World Series championships since taking over Boston's baseball operations department in the fall of 2002, but Boston's fans currently seem more concerned about this year's late-season collapse than Epstein's past successes. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined Epstein's history of building starting rotations earlier today.

Theo Epstein And Starting Pitching

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Theo Epstein was hired as GM of the Red Sox on November 25th, 2002, so he's coming up on nine years at the helm.  The fatal flaw with Epstein's disappointing 2011 club was starting pitching, which prompted me to investigate his work assembling rotations.

2003 – Won wild card.  4.30 rotation ERA ranked fifth in AL.

Epstein had nothing to do with the '03 rotation, so we can strike it from his record.

2004 – Won World Series.  4.31 rotation ERA ranked third in AL.

Epstein deserves credit for 40% of this group, and Schilling was of course crucial.

2005 – Won wild card.  4.56 rotation ERA ranked seventh in AL.

  • Tim Wakefield – He signed an extension in '05 with a recurring $4MM club option, so perhaps he became part of Epstein's ledger here or with the '06 season.
  • Bronson Arroyo
  • Matt Clement – signed by Epstein in '04
  • David Wells – signed by Epstein in '04.
  • Curt Schilling
  • Wade Miller – signed by Epstein in '04.

This was not an impressive group, and most of them can be attributed to Epstein.

2006 – Missed playoffs.  5.00 rotation ERA ranked 11th in AL.

  • Josh Beckett - Seth Mnookin's 2006 book Feeding the Monster mainly credits president Larry Lucchino for the November '05 Beckett trade, as Epstein was on hiatus.  The book says assistant GM Jed Hoyer was in constant consultation with Epstein at the time and was wary of making the deal.  Beckett had a rough '06 season, during which Epstein extended him potentially through 2010.
  • Curt Schilling
  • Tim Wakefield
  • Jon Lester – The 2002 draftee officially goes on the ledger of interim GM Mike Port, though Epstein was in the organization as assistant GM by that point.
  • Matt Clement
  • Kyle Snyder – claimed off waivers by Epstein in '06.

2007 – Won World Series.  4.21 rotation ERA ranked second in AL.

2008 – Won wild card.  4.02 rotation ERA ranked third in AL.

2009 – Won wild card.  4.63 rotation ERA ranked eighth in AL.

  • Josh Beckett
  • Jon Lester – Prior to this season, Epstein signed Lester potentially through 2014.
  • Brad Penny – signed by Epstein as a free agent in '08.
  • Tim Wakefield
  • Clay Buchholz – drafted by Epstein in '05.
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka
  • John Smoltz – signed by Epstein as a free agent in '09.

2010 – Missed playoffs.  4.17 rotation ERA ranked sixth in AL.

  • John Lackey – signed by Epstein as a free agent in '09.
  • Jon Lester
  • Clay Buchholz
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka
  • Josh Beckett – A new extension for Beckett was completed by Epstein prior to this season, running through 2014.
  • Tim Wakefield – Wakefield's recurring option had been exercised three times.  Prior to this season, Epstein hammered out a new two-year extension.

2011 – Missed playoffs.  4.49 rotation ERA ranked ninth in AL.

  • Jon Lester
  • Josh Beckett
  • John Lackey
  • Tim Wakefield
  • Clay Buchholz
  • Andrew Miller – signed by Epstein as a free agent in '10.

Epstein has put together eight rotations in his time as Red Sox GM.  Three could comfortably be described as above-average.  Schilling and Arroyo, his best starting pitching acquisitions, came eight years ago.  So far Buchholz has been the only drafted starting pitcher to make an impact in one of Epstein's rotations, with '06 pick Justin Masterson becoming a major piece of the '09 trade for Victor Martinez.  While Matsuzaka has been disappointing as a whole, he made major contributions in '07 and '08.  Epstein also deserves credit for extending Wakefield, Beckett, and Lester.

Free agent starting pitchers have been a problem, with significant dollars spent on Lackey, Clement, Penny, and Smoltz.  And for a $103MM commitment, Dice-K has not paid off.

The Red Sox seem to have relative stability in their recent rotations, and Lester, Beckett, and Buchholz will be part of the 2012 group.  Still, a major acquisition seems likely this offseason.  For all of Epstein's positive contributions to the club, his ability to acquire good veteran starting pitching must be questioned.

Red Sox Rumors: Epstein, Cherington, Managerial Candidates

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The Red Sox appear headed for an interesting offseason; here's the latest.

  • A Major League source close to Theo Epstein told ESPN's Gordon Edes it's "50-50" the Red Sox GM would leave for the right situation.  Edes hears Epstein "believes in honoring a contract that has a year remaining," yet owner John Henry "would not stand in the way if Epstein wanted to pursue another opportunity."  Edes feels that while giving Epstein a club president title would be a promotion, the business aspect of that role has never held appeal for him.  If Epstein leaves, Edes has a source who would be very surprised if current assistant GM Ben Cherington didn't replace him.
  • Edes believes that if the Cubs or Angels intend to make a move for Epstein, it will come as early as this week.  The Red Sox "will likely ask for stiff compensation if they permit Epstein to leave for the Cubs, though an extension is still possible," tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Sources are split on whether Angels owner Arte Moreno wants Epstein, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
  • Edes says the Red Sox have internally discussed Sandy Alomar Jr., Dave Martinez, Pete Mackanin, Ryne Sandberg, and Tony La Russa as candidates to replace Terry Francona as manager.  It is tricky to have Epstein overseeing this process given his uncertainty, but Cherington is involved as well.
  • In a must-read article, WEEI's Rob Bradford addresses the future of each Red Sox position player.

Red Sox Notes: Francona, Epstein, Papi, Free Agents

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It's been a tumultuous few weeks for the Red Sox and their fans, and this array of links can speak to that…

  • Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald writes that the ownership trio of John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino deserve some of the blame for Terry Francona's departure from Boston.
  • Boston's brass doesn't want to comment on the possibility of GM Theo Epstein winding up with the Cubs, says the Boston Herald's Scott Lauber, but until they address the situation or until Chicago hires someone, the potential is there.
  • Ken Rosenthal quotes a rival GM who says that when the Red Sox are in crisis mode, "all bets are off," meaning that they could conceivably let Epstein interview for the Cubs' position (Twitter link).
  • In a second tweet, Rosenthal relays a thought from another GM: what could Epstein fetch in return from the Cubs after the White Sox netted two minor leaguers for Ozzie Guillen?
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe wonders if Epstein is the next to head through the Red Sox "spin cycle." Abraham discusses the possibility of Epstein going to the Cubs, and the intriguing possibility of him hiring Francona as his manager there.
  • In the same piece, Abraham notes that if Epstein were to leave the Red Sox, senior vice president and assistant GM Ben Cherington would be a logical replacement. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at Cherington as a GM candidate back in August.
  • Still in Abraham's article, David Ortiz says he wants to return to the Red Sox in 2012 and beyond, and that Boston fans "don't deserve what we offered them."
  • Hideki Okajima, Drew Sutton, and Dennys Reyes, join yesterday's list of minor leaguers who officially declared free agency, according to Abraham.

The Latest On Terry Francona

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As we learned last night and early this morning, the Red Sox and long-time manager Terry Francona are parting ways. Let's round up the latest on both the man and the team…

  • White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper is pushing for Francona, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Cooper recently received a contract extension despite Ozzie Guillen's departure.
  • "I'm not sure how much support there was from ownership, and I don't know that I felt real comfortable," said Francona during his press conference according to Mike Silverman of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). 
  • GM Theo Epstein acknowledged that he, John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino and Ben Cherington met with Francona today to discuss the 2011 season. "We all plan on taking some time to process the thoughts expressed in the meeting," Epstein said in a statement. "There are no immediate plans for an announcement.”
  • Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal says that Francona and owners John Henry and Tom Werner all left Fenway Park after a 10am ET meeting this morning without making a comment. The meeting was held to discuss the team's future, and no official announcement has been made about Francona.
  • Mike Lynch of WCTB TV in Boston reports that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told management that Francona wasn't working out six weeks ago because of a "lack of urgency." Francona was voted out 3-0 a few weeks later.
  • Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe says this is a truly mutual split, however (Twitter link). Francona would have been willing to stay on if some issues were worked out.
  • There's a non-zero chance that Francona lands with the White Sox, but Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) that they won't pay big money for a manager unless it's Tony LaRussa.
  • In another tweet, Knobler says that an Epstein-Francona package seemed possible for the Cubs at one point, but he doesn't think it's likely now.
  • Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun doesn't see Francona managing the Orioles next year for several reasons.

Cubs Rumors: Epstein, Zambrano, Sandberg

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ESPN's Wayne Drehs has the story of Pat Looney, the man who almost became a scapegoat for Cubs fans in 2003 instead of Steve Bartman.  ESPN's Bartman film airs tonight at 7pm central time.  The latest on the Cubs:

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