The Cubs introduced their savior, Theo Epstein, today.
10 years ago, Epstein was the wonderkid being given the keys to the shiny luxury car. Today, he's the grizzled veteran being brought in to turn around another franchise starving for a championship.
Epstein relinquishes his post as General Manager of the Red Sox to become President of Baseball Operations for the North Siders. He will report directly to Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, who was sitting alongside Epstein at the press conference today. Jed Hoyer, the GM of the San Diego Padres in 2011, will take over the vacant Cubs GM position.
The Cubs are a team in desperate need of an overhaul. After winning the NL Central in 2007 and 2008, they have finished 5th in the division the last two seasons. Previous management has burdened the team with unmovable contracts, such as Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano. Zambrano, the volatile starting pitcher, will make $18 million in 2012 and Soriano, a defensive liability in left field, is set to make $18 million each of the next three seasons.
Epstein and Hoyer will have some major holes to fill. The Cubs will be looking for a first baseman and it is expected that they will make competitive offers to superstar free agents Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder with the hope of making one the cornerstone player for the next seven or eight years. Right field and starting pitching are also priorities.
On the other hand, the team Epstein leaves behind, the Red Sox, are an organization in turmoil. They were the big offseason winners prior to the 2011 season, signing top free agent Carl Crawford and trading for MVP candidate Adrian Gonzalez. But the Red Sox blew a 9-game lead in the AL Wild Card race in September, the greatest collapse in history.
Since that walk-off loss to the Orioles to end the season, the Red Sox have parted ways with manager Terry Francona, allowed Epstein to leave and had to defuse a story that starting pitchers Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester were in the clubhouse during games drinking beer during the pennant race.
Once again, the two teams are linked. Prior to 2004, they were the two teams rich in history but lacking in recent World Series titles. Now they are linked through Epstein, the Red Sox savior now trying to revive the Cubs.
It will be interesting to see which team will experience success faster.
The Red Sox have the on-field talent (MVP candidates Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia as well as All-Stars Crawford and Kevin Youkilis) but are trying to stabilize the front office. Do they have players that need to be traded for the sake of clubhouse chemistry? Who will manage the team? Will all the turnover in the dugout and front office hurt the team? Will it be a distraction?
The Cubs now have a solid brain-trust in position but need to overhaul the talent on the field. Superstar-in-waiting Starlin Castro is the cornerstone player Epstein and Hoyer can build around. A decision will have to be made about third baseman Aramis Ramirez and his $16 million team option. It's believed he wants to stay with the Cubs, but will the team want to pay that much money to a guy that hasn't hit 30 home runs since 2006 and hasn't driven in 100 runs since 2008. How much are they willing to offer to Pujols or Fielder?
Both teams have a lot of questions to answer and a lot to prove on the field over the next few seasons. We'll have to wait and see which one of Epstein's projects will produce first: his abandoned project or his reclamation project.
Showing posts with label Boston Red Sox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Red Sox. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Etch-It-In-Stone #3: Santana will stay in Twin Cities...for good.
This time last week, the perception was that Johan Santana would be a part of the Yankees collection of $20 million players.
This time yesterday, the feeling was that he was about to turn the Red Sox into an even bigger juggernaut for the next half dozen years.
The Yankees had the best offer on the table. Phil Hughes has been widely considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. The only player the Red Sox have that is of equal talent and ceiling is Clay Buchholz, and the Sox said he was off limits from day one. The Red Sox were willing to part with Jon Lester, but he's not close to the same talent as Hughes.
When the Twins didn't accept Hughes, Melky Cabrera and a prospect from the Yankees, I had a gut feeling that they wouldn't trade him. At the July trade deadline, every team that talked to the Yankees wanted Hughes. Now, when the Twins had the chance to get him, plus an above average center fielder and possibly a 5-tool talent in Austin Jackson, they turn it down, to me that signals that they are expecting too much in return for Santana.
Santana may be the best pitcher in baseball, and for that, the Twins should receive a bounty of talent for him. But he doesn't have a contract after the 2008 season, so since the team receiving him has to throw down a hefty chunk of change to keep Santana, that drives down the price they should have to pay for him. Twins GM Bill Smith needs to understand that.
Personally, I wouldn't give up arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball, and then have to give Santana $150 million over six years. I'd just as soon take my chances with Hughes and save $24 million a year.
When the Yankees pulled out of trade talks on Monday night, that was another thing that made me feel like he wouldn't be traded. The Red Sox may want Santana just as badly as the Yankees, but they can't financially take him. Sure they may have the budget right now, but if they trade for him, they'd have to give him the $150 million he wants. That's all fine and dandy until 2007 Cy Young runner-up Josh Beckett comes knocking on GM Theo Epstein's door asking for a pay raise from the $10 million he's going to make over the next two years.
No pitcher has ever made more than $20 million in a season, so I don't think the Red Sox are too eager to have two pitchers in the same rotation making over $20 million. Chances are Beckett would want something similar to Santana's deal. Two pitchers making a combined $50 million is absurd, even for the Yankees and Red Sox.
My money is on the Twins keeping Santana, and not just for this season. I have a feeling Twins management will find a way to pay him. After all, Twins owner Carl Pohlad is one of the richest owners in baseball. And with the new stadium opening in a few years, they will have a lot more revenue money coming in.
You heard it here first, Santana will stay with Minnesota beyond 2008. The money may not be what he wants, but I think he will get enough to make him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
This time yesterday, the feeling was that he was about to turn the Red Sox into an even bigger juggernaut for the next half dozen years.
The Yankees had the best offer on the table. Phil Hughes has been widely considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. The only player the Red Sox have that is of equal talent and ceiling is Clay Buchholz, and the Sox said he was off limits from day one. The Red Sox were willing to part with Jon Lester, but he's not close to the same talent as Hughes.
When the Twins didn't accept Hughes, Melky Cabrera and a prospect from the Yankees, I had a gut feeling that they wouldn't trade him. At the July trade deadline, every team that talked to the Yankees wanted Hughes. Now, when the Twins had the chance to get him, plus an above average center fielder and possibly a 5-tool talent in Austin Jackson, they turn it down, to me that signals that they are expecting too much in return for Santana.
Santana may be the best pitcher in baseball, and for that, the Twins should receive a bounty of talent for him. But he doesn't have a contract after the 2008 season, so since the team receiving him has to throw down a hefty chunk of change to keep Santana, that drives down the price they should have to pay for him. Twins GM Bill Smith needs to understand that.
Personally, I wouldn't give up arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball, and then have to give Santana $150 million over six years. I'd just as soon take my chances with Hughes and save $24 million a year.
When the Yankees pulled out of trade talks on Monday night, that was another thing that made me feel like he wouldn't be traded. The Red Sox may want Santana just as badly as the Yankees, but they can't financially take him. Sure they may have the budget right now, but if they trade for him, they'd have to give him the $150 million he wants. That's all fine and dandy until 2007 Cy Young runner-up Josh Beckett comes knocking on GM Theo Epstein's door asking for a pay raise from the $10 million he's going to make over the next two years.
No pitcher has ever made more than $20 million in a season, so I don't think the Red Sox are too eager to have two pitchers in the same rotation making over $20 million. Chances are Beckett would want something similar to Santana's deal. Two pitchers making a combined $50 million is absurd, even for the Yankees and Red Sox.
My money is on the Twins keeping Santana, and not just for this season. I have a feeling Twins management will find a way to pay him. After all, Twins owner Carl Pohlad is one of the richest owners in baseball. And with the new stadium opening in a few years, they will have a lot more revenue money coming in.
You heard it here first, Santana will stay with Minnesota beyond 2008. The money may not be what he wants, but I think he will get enough to make him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
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