Epstein, who has a year remaining on his current deal, would not respond to the report, which came from Buster Olney.
At the very least, this should earn Epstein a small fortune if he elects to stay in Boston.
When all is said and done, Epstein should either be the highest-paid GM in baseball or a dollar or two behind the Yankees’ Brian Cashman, who is a free agent after this season. The bet here is that both Epstein and Cashman stay where they are.
Either would be an excellent choice for the Cubs, who need strong leadership. The Cubs have money, and both know how to spend it. Of course, the Cubs don’t have as much as the Sox and Yankees, so their player personnel choices would have to be somewhat less ambitious.
Either would likely love the change that is the Cubs. But how could their respective ownerships allow either to walk?
One industry insider thinks that both could earn in the vicinity of $5 million per year. At present, Epstein earns $1.5 million while his manager earns $4.5 million. Quite a disparity, though it has been explained to me that the baseball operations budget - of which the manager is a part - is far greater than the front office budget.
The Cubs rumors are a great negotiating tool for Epstein. They also bring up the question of what Epstein’s goal is.
Does he want to be GM of the Red Sox for life? As long as Larry Lucchino is in power, Epstein may never supplant him as team president - unless Lucchino left to be commissioner of baseball when Bud Selig calls it a career (at least he says will) after the 2012 season. Lucchino also could be part of a group that buys the Dodgers.
But the prevailing thought is that Lucchino loves being in Boston and there’s no reason for him to go anywhere.
Epstein may want complete control of an operation; a major league source familiar with Epstein’s thinking indicated that this school of thought should not be discounted. While the rift between him and Lucchino seems to be a thing of the past, Lucchino’s presence still keeps Epstein from running the entire organization.
Would the Sox grant the Cubs permission to speak to Epstein?
