Exit, Epstein

The Red Sox are expected to receive compensation in the form of cash or minor league prospects for Epstein, who had a year remaining on his contract, said the sources, who are familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly. The sides also are negotiating which staff members Epstein would be allowed to take with him to Chicago.

Epstein - who delivered the Red Sox a curse-breaking World Series title in 2004 and another a few years later - is being viewed as a savior in the Windy City. But his final years with the Red Sox were not his best.

The Sox have finished in third place two years in a row and this season suffered a historic September collapse, replete with revelations that members of the pitching staff were drinking beer in the clubhouse during games. Manager Terry Francona quit before he could be fired two days after the season, saying he had lost the ability to reach certain players.

“For all of us, collectively, it’s a failure,’’ Epstein said on Sept. 29. “In some small ways, we’ve gotten away a little bit from our ideal of what we want to be on the field and off the field. It’s our responsibility to fix it.’’

Now, less than two weeks later, he is bolting, too. The Red Sox are expected to replace Epstein with his top assistant, Ben Cherington. A 37-year-old New Hampshire native with the same dispassionate approach to constructing a team as Epstein, Cherington inherits a big challenge. But it’s far less of one than Epstein had in 2002 when he arrived from the San Diego Padres.

Epstein was a compromise selection as the GM, endorsed by team president Larry Lucchino after Oakland’s Billy Beane accepted the job only to change his mind. A Yale graduate with a law degree, Epstein was on the forefront of using statistical analysis to assemble and run a team.