You would think that because Epstein and new Sox GM Ben Cherington worked so closely together for so long (they were still in the same office while the Sox and Cubs were trying to work out a deal), something would have been done already. But the closeness of the relationship seems to have had the opposite effect.
It got to the point where the Sox really had to move on with their offseason and had to have a clear decision as to who was their GM. So Sox president Larry Lucchino agreed to let Epstein out of the final season of his contract with the understanding from Cubs owner Tom Ricketts that the Red Sox would receive a “significant’’ player in return.
Was a list of players the Sox deemed “significant’’ ever exchanged with the Cubs?
In the early going, the Sox gave it the old college try, asking for Matt Garza or shortstop Starlin Castro. Now that’s significant. Of course they were rebuffed.
Then all sorts of combinations were discussed, and neither side could agree on anything.
Selig threatened to take control of the matter if the sides didn’t meet a deadline. They did not.
So the Commissioner’s Office took the matter back, but there were delays because the new collective bargaining agreement was being finalized.
If there is something about to be decided, nobody claims to know, though it has leaked that both teams have submitted names to the commissioner.
So what is fair?
“Significant’’ would be someone such as Travis Wood, who was just acquired by the Cubs in the Sean Marshall deal with the Reds. He is a 25-year-old lefthander the Sox could use as a fifth starter. But would the Commissioner’s Office take a player Epstein and Jed Hoyer just traded for and hand him over to the Sox?
The Sox have always liked two Cubs utility players, Jeff Baker and Reed Johnson. Is that enough?
