Is Theo next?

[example1]

The Cubs are likely to make a strong run at Theo. I won't be shocked if he is open to that as an opportunity, but I think it would be a set-back for the Sox. Others may disagree. This thread was prompted by this tween from Sherman:

 

Joel Sherman:

 

"I am shocked, but in last 36 hrs every exec talk to says believe #Redsox will give permssion and Theo will go to #Cubs to be GM"

[jacksonianmarch]

Yep, seems like the consensus is that Theo goes to the Cubs. A total house cleaning for the sox after the debachle of a season. Be careful what you wish for...

[example1]

It's the consensus of people not in the know that Theo might be allowed to talk to the Cubs. I have no idea whether he is actually itnerested in it, etc.,

 

It would be a lower pressure job, because he can start the Cubs job with a lot of "build up the farm system for a run in 3-4 years" kind of thing. Plus, the fans are used to losing and don't have the same high expectations that sox fans have acquired since 2003.

[soxfan74]

Big mistake if they let him walk.

[Cocos Disciples]

This would suck. If it happens, I hope they promote Cherington.

[Palodios]

The Cubs are likely to make a strong run at Theo. I won't be shocked if he is open to that as an opportunity, but I think it would be a set-back for the Sox. Others may disagree. This thread was prompted by this tween from Sherman:

 

Joel Sherman:

 

"I am shocked, but in last 36 hrs every exec talk to says believe #Redsox will give permssion and Theo will go to #Cubs to be GM"

 

If the Cubs hire Theo as their GM, it would be a huge mistake. In the next two years, they will trim a sizeable amount of payroll off their team. 134 million payroll in 2011, 72 signed so far for 2012, and 28 signed for 2013. The Cubs are going to have an absolute ton of money to work with, with A-ram, Zambrano, Dempster, Fukodome, Pena and a few other big dollar players are going to be off the roster.

 

Theo's strength is drafting prospects and building them for the future, but has a severe weakness when it comes to spending money on established MLB players. I would not give 60-80 million dollars worth of free agents per year in 2013 to Theo's hands.

[example1]

Here's a really good podcast with Ben Charington talking about the culture of the current FO and how they are run as an organization. Definitely worth listening to. (note: it is from a few months ago)

 

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2011/05/25/minor-details-ep-11-development-in-the-red-sox-front-office/

[soxfan74]

Cherington would be the best choice if Theo does leave.

[example1]

Cherington would be the best choice if Theo does leave.

 

Billy Beane would be an interesting choice too.

[Scottish Red Sox Fan]

Theo Epstein and Terry Francona are two of the best things ever to happen to the Red Sox. To lose one of those two is a blow. To lose both of them would be nothing short of criminal.

 

To say I will be disgruntled if Theo leaves the Red Sox is an understatement.

[soxfan74]

Billy Beane would be an interesting choice too.

 

No doubt about that! Beane is an excellent GM considering what he has to work with. Would he leave Oakland? That is the question. He's been there a long time.

[example1]

No doubt about that! Beane is an excellent GM considering what he has to work with. Would he leave Oakland? That is the question. He's been there a long time.

 

I can't imagine what being in Oakland is doing for his drive/ego. I mean, he might really like living in CA (it's nice) but if he wants to be on a really good club he would undoubtedly have to think long and hard about an opening in Boston.

[3rdManOut]

You know once Tito left I wanted Theo's head on a stick. Now Im thinking maybe thats not the best idea right away. Main question is, who is better than Theo at his job as GM that is available now? I cant really think of anyone right off the top of my head.

[BornToRun]

I think Theo gets a little too much of a bad rap on free agents. Some guys I don't think you can blame him too much for.

 

Renteria came in as a solid SS who could play defense. Who would've guessed he was gonna suck that hard?

 

Lugo and Dice-K, I'll give you.

 

Drew might be overpaid but we got a lot of good out of him. He stepped up in the 07 playoffs and carried the team for the whole month of June is 2008 when Papi was sucking it and sucking it hard. He also played very solid defense and put up a high OBP with some pop.

 

The juries are still out on CC and Lackey. Lackey got paid to be a number 3 and he was exactly that in 2010, his numbers weren't as pretty as they were in Anaheim but that was to be expected. You can't anticipate how bad he was for the majority of this season and he still has 3 years left to right the ship.

 

Crawford is an amazing talent and I don't think one bad season is enough to say that the whole career of .300 hitting is going to end. He had a rough first season in Boston, there's 6 more left.

[Cairns_Sox]

I think Theo gets a little too much of a bad rap on free agents. Some guys I don't think you can blame him too much for.

 

Renteria came in as a solid SS who could play defense. Who would've guessed he was gonna suck that hard?

 

Lugo and Dice-K, I'll give you.

 

Drew might be overpaid but we got a lot of good out of him. He stepped up in the 07 playoffs and carried the team for the whole month of June is 2008 when Papi was sucking it and sucking it hard. He also played very solid defense and put up a high OBP with some pop.

 

The juries are still out on CC and Lackey. Lackey got paid to be a number 3 and he was exactly that in 2010, his numbers weren't as pretty as they were in Anaheim but that was to be expected. You can't anticipate how bad he was for the majority of this season and he still has 3 years left to right the ship.

 

Crawford is an amazing talent and I don't think one bad season is enough to say that the whole career of .300 hitting is going to end. He had a rough first season in Boston, there's 6 more left.

 

I disagree about Lackey. He's done. I'll be surprised if he is pitching here next year.

[BornToRun]

I disagree about Lackey. He's done. I'll be surprised if he is pitching here next year.

 

Where else will he pitch?

[Cairns_Sox]

Where else will he pitch?

 

I'm hoping as far away from Boston as possible.

[BornToRun]

We're stuck with him man and we might as well hope he turns it around which he showed signs of this year. He's never gonna put up the pretty numbers he did in Anaheim but I think we'll see a much better John Lackey in 2012, and a much better Red Sox team for that matter.

[Cairns_Sox]

We're stuck with him man and we might as well hope he turns it around which he showed signs of this year. He's never gonna put up the pretty numbers he did in Anaheim but I think we'll see a much better John Lackey in 2012' date=' and a much better Red Sox team for that matter.[/quote']

 

I can appreciate the optimism, I really can. I don't think there is anyway possible they bring him back. Especially after this year. They eat the contract in my opinion. I know they defended him and said he was a great teammate despite his dummy spits. But they also said there would be no scapegoat for this mess and they said there wouldn't be a premature decision on Francona's job and look what happened.

 

I'm sorry but with all the speculated clubhouse issues and the way Lackey went about things on and off the mound, I'll be very angry if he is in Boston next season.

[BornToRun]

We're not just gonna eat that much money man. It's around 30 mil if I remember correctly.

[jung]

The Sox are by no means stuck with Lackey. Smaller market teams love to take gambles on players that might rebound based on a change of scenery especially when their former boss is picking up a good bit of the tab. The Sox may or may not keep him but they are by no means stuck with him.

[iortiz]

They should try to trade him even for peanuts and eat the 80% of his contract or something around, but please get rid of him. Nobody would even care whether he wins the CY next year, trust me. His karma is just not adequate for this team.

[BornToRun]

We deal him and we won't get s*** for him. He's got zero value right now and we'll be eating a good chunk of the money.

[Cairns_Sox]

We're not just gonna eat that much money man. It's around 30 mil if I remember correctly.

 

Maybe not all of it, but in some way shape or form he is gone. As go as far as saying there will be riot if he is still here next season. I think Ownership are aware of how the fans feel about the whole Tito situation and I think they try and win some respect back from the fans by shipping Lackey. Just my opinion though.

[a700hitter]

The Cubs are likely to make a strong run at Theo. I won't be shocked if he is open to that as an opportunity, but I think it would be a set-back for the Sox. Others may disagree. This thread was prompted by this tween from Sherman:

 

Joel Sherman:

 

"I am shocked, but in last 36 hrs every exec talk to says believe #Redsox will give permssion and Theo will go to #Cubs to be GM"

It will not set back the Sox. Theo set them back with some terrible long term contracts that are going to hard to get by.

[jung]

I think the Sox may try to move Lackey but I am less convinced that it will be to appease fan uproar and support for Tito. There is simply too much ******** surrounding this team and not only does Lackey not perform but he has become part of that whole mess. This is way different from "dem fightin' A's" or Reggie's "straw that stirs the drink" teams. This is a real deal meltdown.

 

There are surely guys that were involved in this mess that can be trusted to keep their noses clean as long as management sets expectations and lays down the law. However a guy that is constantly apologizing for the crap he started 24 hours earlier does not fit into that category. If there had not been a complete meltdown and Lackey had not been a part of it then he might have been considered nothing more than a minor distraction. Instead he has gotten himself pegged as part of a much bigger problem AND his performance was terrible.

 

On top of that if Lackey was one of the starting pitchers involved in lounging in the clubhouse exercising his pitching arm doing 12 oz. lifts during games in progress then along with everything else stacked against him, he is long gone especially since I doubt that the Sox will have to eat his whole contract. I don't think any names have been named as yet as far as that particular situation but since it is the starting pitchers that have been named as a group, that sort of narrows the field to the group that Lackey is in.

[SCM33]

I think Theo gets a little too much of a bad rap on free agents. Some guys I don't think you can blame him too much for.

 

Renteria came in as a solid SS who could play defense. Who would've guessed he was gonna suck that hard?

 

Lugo and Dice-K, I'll give you.

 

Drew might be overpaid but we got a lot of good out of him. He stepped up in the 07 playoffs and carried the team for the whole month of June is 2008 when Papi was sucking it and sucking it hard. He also played very solid defense and put up a high OBP with some pop.

 

The juries are still out on CC and Lackey. Lackey got paid to be a number 3 and he was exactly that in 2010, his numbers weren't as pretty as they were in Anaheim but that was to be expected. You can't anticipate how bad he was for the majority of this season and he still has 3 years left to right the ship.

 

Crawford is an amazing talent and I don't think one bad season is enough to say that the whole career of .300 hitting is going to end. He had a rough first season in Boston, there's 6 more left.

 

Drew sucked, Renteria sucked for his lone year and they quit to quickly on, Lugo sucked, Dice-K sucked.

 

The jury is out on CC, but not Lackey.

 

He was the WORST starting pitcher in baseball. If he were average, yeah the jury is out. He was the WORST pitcher in the game.

 

Some of Theos moves not to forget:

John Lackey

Edgar Renteria

BK Kim

Jd Drew

Julio Lugo

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Jeff Suppan

Scott Sauerbeck

Rudy Seanez (twice)

Ramiro Mendoza

Bronson Arroyo

Matt Clement

Kelly Shoppach (trading away for Coco Crisp)

Coco Crisp

Craig Hansen (most overhyped Sox draft pick ever?)

Cla Merideth (rush him, maybe ruined his career, then traded him)

Alex Gonzalez (letting him go, twice)

Orlando Cabrera (letting him go)

Wily Mo Pena (aquired in Arroyo trade)

Joel Pineiro (and announcing him as the closer in spring training)

Eric Gagne

Justin Masterson (trading him away)

Victor Martinez (allowing him to leave)

Adrian Beltre (allowing him to leave)

Brad Penny

John Smoltz

Ramon Ramirez (trading him away in the middle of playoff race)

Takashi Saito (not re-signing him)

David Murphy (trading him away)

 

Like I have said. Blow the thing up. Theo did a great job developing talent a few years back....but what has that produced lately? NOTHING.

 

They arent developing, they are trading away their top draft picks, he cant build a bullpen, he cant trade and he hasnt hit on a free agent in YEARS.

 

Cya later Theo..........when I say BLOW IT UP, I mean it. This does not start and end with Tito and Theo either........Lackey, your ass is next. Players will be held accountable as well.

 

Its about f***ing time they do something to fix this damn team. 2 years of ******** will finally come to an end.

[SCM33]

It will not set back the Sox. Theo set them back with some terrible long term contracts that are going to hard to get by.

 

yup, I was making my post as you replied.

 

Spring cleaning, everyone is a target....feeling comfortable? Dont....make sure your bags are packed just in case.

[Jasonbay44]

We deal him and we won't get s*** for him. He's got zero value right now and we'll be eating a good chunk of the money.

 

I don't see anything wrong with doing that.. id much rather pay Lackey to be on another team at this point then have him on this team pitching like s*** and costing us games.

[iortiz]

It will not set back the Sox. Theo set them back with some terrible long term contracts that are going to hard to get by.

 

If he goes to cub land Good for him and for us, but please go with Lackey, D-K, Jenks and if you rush me with CC. These guys will cost us around 50 MUSD next season. Like SCM said once, He will leave this team clogged.