It may not translate into a World Series championship, but the Chicago Cubs got the man they were looking for.
Currently, all reports that are circulating is that the Cubs have agreed to a five-year contract with former Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. Given that Epstein still has one year remaining on his contract, the only step left to settle on is the compensation the Cubs will send to the Red Sox. Aside from maybe an enormous “Thank You” basket, it’ll most likely be monetary.
While the Cubs would appear to be a couple of years off from becoming a major force in the National League, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts doesn’t see it that way necessarily: “I think one thing you’ve seen in baseball over the last few years is that turnarounds can happen pretty quickly. I don’t think it’s meaningful to describe a year as a rebuilding year or a reloading year or any of that.”
Wishful thinking? Yeah, maybe. Ricketts does have some history to work with, though. Even here in 2011, the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to go from 65 wins in 2010, to 94 wins. Not to claim the Cubs are going to swing into contention next season, but it’s certainly possible. Putting someone like Epstein at the helm at least garners up some hope for us Cubs fans.
Like all general managers, Epstein has made his missteps. Though, his major ones look like missteps now but still have time to turn it around. Namely, John Lackey and Carl Crawford. However, missteps are more passable when you have two World Series titles in 10 years, despite the last few years being rather forgettable by current Red Sox standards.
Either way, it’s great to see the Cubs fill the position–with someone of notoriety, no less– and they can now begin thinking about how they wish to proceed for next season. I’m not claiming Epstein is any kind of catch-all fix, but when your team has a 103 year World Series drought and you’re coming off a 71-91 season, change is great ally.
Brian is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed Major League Baseball throughout.
Sources
Epstein Reportedly Has Deal With Cubs