Chicago Cubs Likely To Chase Theo Epstein

There has been a ton of speculation regarding the Chicago Cubs general manager spot since Jim Hendry got the Milton Waddams treatment. Well, throw another name on the pile, as rumors suggest the Cubs will chase Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein.

The Cubs are apparently in pursuit of a big name, and guys like Yankees GM Brian Cashman, A’s GM Billy Beane and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti have been mentioned. But most feel that the Red Sox have baseball’s premier head personnel guy in Epstein, and the Cubs could try to make a run at him.

But, to be honest, there is virtually no chance Epstein leaves the Red Sox. He has deep ties to the organization and Boston owners John Henry and Tom Werner gave him a chance to take over their team at a young age, and had faith in him. Epstein is said to be fiercely loyal to both men.

In addition to that, the Red Sox just made huge investments in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford with eyes towards a sustained run of championships. It’s hard to believe Epstein would leave that behind for a rebuilding project at Wrigley.

Still, the Cubs could offer something substantial to Epstein, like a club presidency or partial ownership that would constitute a promotion. At the very least Theo could use Chicago’s interest to leverage more money or a few extra titles from the Red Sox.

A guy like Colletti, who grew up in Chicago and got his start in baseball as a publicist for the Cubs is a much more likely scenario.