Tag Archives: Tom Ricketts

Theo’s Plan in Full Swing

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Trading the aged and declining Marlon Byrd is another step in the right direction.

The 4-12 Chicago Cubs certainly haven’t given fans anything to boast about thus far in 2012, but it’s rather impressive to look at what Theo Epstein & Co. have done with the pile of garbage they inherited from the previous regime and see how quickly they’ve been able to implement and begin to execute significant parts of their plan to rebuild the inept franchise from the ground up.

Yesterday’s trade of 34-year old Marlon Byrd to the Boston Red Sox was the latest step in the plan to rid themselves of older players who are clearly not part of the Cubs’ future. Byrd’s initial enthusiasm and effort after joining the club in 2010 was slowly replaced by indifference and sub-par production, culminating in his paltry three singles in 43 at-bats to start this season. Tom Ricketts will have to eat most of his $6.5 million salary due him, but he’s got the money and Byrd is clearly in severe decline. To be able to further pillage the desperate, spiteful, and spiraling Red Sox for promising 25-year old, left-handed reliever Michael Bowden and a player to be named is just icing on the cake.

The housecleaning started a mere two months after the new braintrust took office with the jettison of North Side pariah Carlos Zambrano. Big Z’s welcome was more than worn out in Chicago, though he was always great fodder for this blog.  Any production out of Chris Volstad will be worth it and even though it cost the team $15 million to send Carlos’ sorry ass down to Miami, it was money well spent.

Next up in the gut-rehab project should be trading the recently DL-ed Ryan Dempster and his mildly amusing Harry Caray impression. The jocular Canadian has been a cornerstone fo the staff for years as a closer and starter with 87 saves, 62 wins, and a 3.83 ERA over his eight-year career with the Cubs. But at age 34, he’s simply not part of the future. A quick return from his strained right quadriceps will go a long way toward boosting his trade value by  the deadline to a playoff contender looking for pitching depth.  Get healthy Demp!

The coup de gras will be finally moving Alfonso Soriano and the three years and $54 million left on his albatros of a contract that Jim Hendry saddled the club with.  It would take a miracle for Epstein to ever pull that off, but hey—they said the same thing about the Red Sox ever winning another World Series.

So at least there are a few positive signs for Cubs fans to look at just 16 games into what everyone knows is a lost season.  This is going to be a long process, but the process has definitely started.

All the power

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Owner of the year?

When the Theo Epstein rumors and then negotiations began the Boston Red Sox had all the power at the bargaining table, but as the process dragged on it’s shifted to Tom Ricketts and the Chicago Cubs. If I were Ricketts, I would tell Boston to take what I’m offering or leave it.

With Epstein assuming the role of President and the Cubs rumored to have hired Jed Hoyer as GM and Jason McLeod in some capacity, who under Epstein in Boston drafted Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Elsbury, Clay Buckholtz, Daniel Bard, and Justin Masterson, the Cubs will have a strongly upgraded front office with or without Epstein this season.

Epstein’s contract ends at the end of 2012, so why give up anything for him, the only thing it will slow down for the Cubs will be the renovation of Wrigley Field that a lot of hardcore fans will not mind being delayed.

Hoyer and McLeod can begin building Epstein’s vision while the Cubs wait to sign him in 2013 with their farm system entirely intact. The Red Sox’ inability to budge has effectively backed them into a corner they can not get out of at this point. Let’s hypothetically say my scenario plays out and the deal falls through for Epstein with the Cubs knowing that they can sign him in 2013, what does Boston do at that point?

Reports have Epstein working at the Red Sox’ offices as he would any other day if this was not happening. I feel it’s more like a two-week notice, and he has been uploading the “Carmine” player analyzation system to his iDisk as a file named, “The Woo-Woo.”

Would Boston let him finish out his tenure knowing that next season he will be leaving to become President of the Chicago Cubs, or would they send him home thus letting him unofficially begin his role with the Cubs? Their would be a lot of damage control that the Red Sox would have to deal with if they refuse to take what Ricketts has offered.

I have to give Ricketts a ton of credit on this one as he’s handled the situation flawlessly letting the Red Sox play right into his hands. It’s one of best moves ever by a Chicago team owner that I can remember, and if I’m a Cubs’ fan I’m pretty excited and happy that he bought the team. Of course, the pessimist might say these are all only rumors and nothing has been officially announced. Wait until Tuesday my fellow sports fans and you will see the Cubs beginning to form one of the best front offices in baseball.

October 14th: Big day in Cubs history

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Not only is October 14th the day Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers 2-0 in Game 5 of the 1908 World Series to take their last title for the next century or so, but it’s also the date of the infamous and well-documented Bartman game.  Could it also become the day Theo Epstein officially becomes their latest GM or “President” or “Czar” or whatever title they decide to bestow upon him?  It’s hard to say for sure—nothing is easy for the beleaguered franchise—but I think it will happen today.

Following this process has been like dying of thirst. At this point, the Cubs and Epstein have a deal in place, but since he is still under contract for one more year MLB has demanded the Red Sox be compensated. Reports coming out of Boston yesterday said negotiations were at an impasse as the Cubs were only offering cash while the Red Sox are demanding players, most likely minor league prospects.

However, today’s latest reports say Ricketts has budged and sent a list of prospects he’s willing to deal to his emissary, assistant GM Randy Bush. The quality of those prospects could be tied to the number of front office staffers that are allowed to come with Epstein to Chicago.

Essentially, the two teams are dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on a deal that could be announced any minute now. Stay tuned…

The Epstein-era begins? Good or bad?

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Is Epstein the answer? Cubs’ fans and doubters like myself are going to find out, well maybe. According to multiple reports the Cubs have agreed to a 5-year, $20 million deal with Epstein. The only thing that’s holding up the deal is the compensation for Epstein. Why not ask for everything if you’re Boston?

I would if I were Boston. I would ask for Starlin Castro and Andrew Cashner since the Red Sox have all the power in this deal. Those names are the two that have been mentioned by multiple MLB sources.

A lot of sources within the Cubs organization are throwing caution to the wind about the compensation aspect possibly shutting this deal down, which lets the conspiracy theorist in me surface. What if this is all a “wag the dog” by Tom Ricketts and the Cubs? How so?

It’s now reported everywhere that everything has been agreed upon in this deal except for the compensation to the Red Sox for Epstein, so Ricketts has done his job now it’s how cooperative the Red Sox are going to be to get this deal done. Excuse the following cliché, but the Red Sox brass can be the “scape goat” for Epstein not coming to Chicago, and the Cubs getting a more affordable option that can do just as good of a job if not better.

Of course, if Ricketts is as big of Cubs’ fan as he’s billed himself then a big name like Epstein is exactly what he wants, names are what matters on the North Side. Look where that’s gotten Cubs? Two big name managers with a good amount of talent and no World Championships. I know it was time for Jim Hendry to go, but the more I look at the teams he put together for the Cubs I become more sympathetic towards him.

The reason I would not be happy about Epstein if I’m a Cubs’ fan is that Epstein won championships in Boston with his predecessors’ players, not his own talent. Epstein did supply some key pieces to the puzzle, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar and Curt Shilling, but he’s also the same GM that signed players such as J.D. Drew, Daisuke Masuzaka, and John Lackey to bloated, unnecessary contracts. He also signed Andrew Miller and added injury-prone Erik Bedard in an attempt to help a depleted Red Sox starting staff. Bonehead moves such as these lead to the ultimate collapse of the Red Sox this September. The Cubs need more than key pieces to the puzzle to make a serious play for the NL Central.

Those signings seem no better then what the Cubs had with Jim Hendry or what the White Sox have with Kenny Williams. A lot of bloated over paid contracts for very little in return. How about Carl Crawford and Adam Dunn, both seemed worth the money, both were 2011 busts. Is Theo Epstein another Kenny Williams? It seems that way, but Epstein’s had even more money to spend then Williams, so he has the bonus World Championship. Which brings me to my final point.

What will Epstein be able to do for the Cubs with bloated contracts and a limited budget? That’s the $20 million question that would worry me the most.

Epstein bananas for Starbucks? Castro or Reyes?

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Clearly Epstein is not a fan of Starbucks, look at the wall behind him.

Cub Nation has officially become delirious over Theo Epstein coming to the Cubs to take over the mess that Jim Hendry left behind, so delirious that he’s now being spotted at a Starbucks on a Saturday morning at Wrightwood and Racine. Oddly enough, Alexis (my wife) and I were spotted their about two months before our wedding talking to our DJ about song selection. Coincidence? I think NOT! I digress.

According to an article published in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday morning by Cubs beat reporter Paul Sullivan, lifelong Cubs’ fan and head of the “Epstein for GM” fan club, Noah Pinzur saw Epstein pull up in a  ”Honda SUV and park out front with the engine running. The driver stayed in the car, while Epstein, or his doppelgänger, walked in wearing a ”Diablos” baseball cap and stood in a short line.”

The article also went on to describe this exchange between Pinzur and “Theo Epstein:”

“Excuse me,” he said. “Are you Theo Epstein?”

“No,” replied Epstein, or the Epstein lookalike. “I get that a lot.”

After a brief pause, the real or fake Epstein added: “Who is Theo Epstein?”

Pinzur replied: “He’s the guy who may become general manager of the Cubs, or at least we hope.”

Pinzur went back to his seat while Epstein, or his clone, went up to order. He got an iced drink for his female companion and a banana for himself before leaving in the SUV and heading north on Racine.

“Once he had to ask me who ‘Theo Epstein’ was, I knew it was him,” Pinzur said. “It was clearly him being driven in the direction of Wrigley Field.”

A few things why this story is so outrageous I was laughing out loud while I read it, in fact so loudly Alexis asked me ‘what’s so funny?’

I replied, “you know the Starbucks where we met Roland to talk about our music for the wedding. Some delusional Cubs’ fan said he saw Epstein there with his wife getting a coffee.”

“Who cares? Fuck Theo Epstein and the Red Sox,” replied Alexis. It should be noted that Alexis is from New York and a lifelong Yankees’ fan. I think she had a similar reply about the Tigers when they won in the ALDS.

Let’s state why this isn’t true; one there’s no reason for Epstein to stop to get anything like that, surely Tom Ricketts and the Cubs organization would send someone to get him anything he needs. There’s a Starbucks across the street from Wrigley. Secondly, the driver would have gotten out of the car to get the food, not Epstein if he were trying to be covert about his trip to Chicago. Thirdly, Epstein would not show up to an interview wearing  a baseball cap, there’s no reason for him to come in stealth to Chicago. It’s all over the press, there’s nothing to keep secret. Fourthly, the big tell of the “Esptein-twin” asking “Who is Theo Epstein?” made me laugh even harder. There’s a very good chance the guy isn’t into professional baseball, so he really doesn’t know anything about Theo Epstein. He was probably in from El Paso, Texas since he was wearing a ‘Diablos’ baseball cap, an independent minor-league team in El Paso.

Finally, the biggest reason, he was not seen at Wrigley Field. Surely any GM being interviewed for any job would prefer it take place at the stadium, so he could take a look at the facilities and have a good understanding of what challenges lie ahead.

Now, let’s say for a moment that it was Theo Epstein in Chicago to meet Ricketts at a secret location to discuss the GM job, what happens to Starlin Castro? Is Castro worth giving up for Epstein. Most Cubs’ fans that I’ve mentioned this to have gasped and tried to administer the seven deadly plagues for speaking such blaspheme. I offer a different perspective.

Castro is a slacker in the field, he’s committed 56 errors in two seasons with the Cubs, in fact not quite two full seasons. He was exposed by Bobby Valentine during an ESPN Sunday Night baseball broadcast for his non-readiness when the pitcher goes into the wind. He’s been seen putting sunflowers seeds in his mouth and not looking at home plate while the pitcher is pitching, he’s kind of an arrogant, cocky guy. Apparently, spending time with Alfonso Soriano was not a good idea, since Castro acts like he’s accomplished something already and he hasn’t.

Cubs’ fans I offer you this, Jose Reyes. Let Castro go to Boston where he can “Buckner” his way around Fenway and let Epstein come in and sign Reyes to give you an upgrade at shortstop.

With Cashman out of the running as all reports are that he and the Yankees are close on a deal, it’s down to Epstein, Andrew Freidman, and Billy Beane if the Cubs want a name. I still believe that Freidman is the most likely to leave, since he has expressed considerable frustration over the lack of attendance at Tampa Bay games. I would expect Joe Maddon to follow. Pretty good upgrade I would say, wouldn’t you?

Enjoy the silence

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Is Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on his way to rock the North Side?

The silence emanating from Fenway Park is deafening these days. After nearly 48 hours of screaming headlines across New England through the Midwest reporting that the Cubs have merely asked for permission to speak to Red Sox rock star GM Theo Epstein, the Boston media blackout thus far speaks volumes.

The Red Sox could’ve easily come out by now and simply said “no.” End of story… Nothing to see here… Everyone can go home now. But since they haven’t done so, speculation has run rampant.

Really, what’s the big deal in letting the Cubs at least talk to him? It would be common business courtesy by Boston to let Epstein explore his options. He’s given more to the franchise and the city than anyone could’ve dreamt of.  Why not just come out and say it?

There are really only two possible explanations at this point.  Either the Red Sox can’t decide what to do (very unlikely that a proud organization such as the Red Sox can’t get their shit together by now) or they have already accepted the Cubs request and simply haven’t announced it for any number of reasons.

Since Epstein still has one year left on his four-year extension, Boston could be demanding compensation for even speaking to their GM, let alone stealing him away from them.  If that’s the case, it may take them awhile to figure out what they would even want from the Cubs considering their dearth of talent.

Some have suggested that the Red Sox would only let Epstein out of his deal if the Cubs agree to take on the contract of pitching disaster John Lackey.  I think it’d be worth it—no matter how bad Lackey has been, he might benefit from a move to the NL.

There’s also the possibility that the Cubs and Red Sox have cleared all the hurdles and Tom Ricketts is in Boston speaking to Theo right now.  Maybe there’s already a deal on the table and Epstein is simply mulling things over. It would make sense for the Red Sox to bite their tongue until they know what Theo really wants to do. 

But just because the Red Sox may have allowed the Cubs to speak to their beloved GM, it doesn’t necessarily mean Theo wants to come to Chicago. There’s always the possibility Epstein could simply be using the Cubs as leverage against the Red Sox to get a better deal after his current one expires next year.

Whatever is happening, the Red Sox are certainly holding their cards close to the vest. It’s not difficult to deduce something big could be happening in the very near future.

Cubs fans party like it’s 1978. Now what?

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Cubs Nation erupts in joy at the news of Jim Hendry's firing.

Cubs fans came out in numbers not seen since Opening Day of 1978 to celebrate the firing of controversial GM, Jim Hendry this weekend. With a new sense of hope, 84, 717 revelers—42,343 on Friday and 42,374 (including myself) on Saturday—crammed into Wrigley Field to bask in the glow of the post-Hendry era like it was the falling of the Berlin Wall.  Oh yeah, and the Cubs beat the Cardinals in 5-4 and 3-0 respectively.  Screw the Cardinals!

With a tearful goodbye, Hendry announced he had finally (and mercifully) been dismissed. After compiling a 212-235 record over the last three seasons and saddling the organzation with horrendous backloaded contracts that will hang over the new GM’s head for years to come, it was clear big time changes needed to be made.

It was nice to see Cubs’ owner, Tom Ricketts, finally grow a pair and make a tough decision about the future of the ball club.  He made it clear that the new GM would come from outside the organization—an encouraging sign that he finally recognizes that change cannot come from within such a diseased and decrepit culture of failure.

Another promising sign that Ricketts actually “gets it” are the specific criteria he laid out that his new GM will have to embody: an emphasis in player development, a strong statistical base and experience in a winning culture. Clearly, this is a departure from the Hendry era as all three are qualities he lacked.

So who will that new GM be?

Speculation immediately turned due south to the White Sox current assistant GM, Rick Hann. Hann certainly fulfills most of Ricketts’ criteria and has the full endorsement of his current boss, Kenny Williams:

Rick Hahn is, to me, one of the most qualified men to assume the position moving forward. What Mr. Ricketts does (with the Cubs) is his own business. He’s a guy who has had a lot of success in business and in his world, and his world over there is none of my business. But if he called for a recommendation on Rick Hahn, I absolutely would give him my highest.”

High praise indeed, but Kenny sounds almost desperately eager to be rid of his protegé, nervously looking over his shoulder at his obvious heir apparent on the South Side like a Roman emperor fearing he’s about to be assassinated by his son for the throne.

With the Sox floundering below .500 again and on the hook with Hendry-esque, long-term bad contracts for disappointments Alex Rios, Jake Peavy and Adam Dunn, it’s not inconceivable that Williams’ job is on the line if things don’t turn around this year.  If that’s the case, why would the Sox let their coveted GM-to-be go to their hated rival on the North Side?  I think cagey Sox owner, Jerry Reinsdorf will dangle the Sox GM spot and pay whatever it takes to hold onto Hann and keep him out of the Cubs’ front office.

Baseball’s venerable Dalai Lama, Pat Gillick, is another common name being thrown into the ring for the Cubs’ GM post.  But while his resumé is second to none (three Word Series championships including the 2008 Phillies), the prospect of hiring a man who turns 74 tomorrow for a difficult job with a losing organization that will optimisically take at least three years to turn around seems absurd to me.  Don’t bet on it.

The name that stands out to me as the most plausible and ideal candidate for the Cubs’ GM job is current Tampa Bay Rays Executive Vice President and GM, Andrew Friedman.  The 34-year-old prodigy has already lead the Rays to two AL East championships and a World Series berth despite being handcuffed by a payroll limited to a tiny fraction of those of their division rivals and dueling Colossuses, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Friedman must be growing weary of trying to put a winning product on a dilapidated and empty Tropicana Field while fighting a perpetual uphill and unfair battle in the AL East. I think the tantalizing prospect of being able to operate with relatively few monetary restraints in a much weaker division in a market that actually appreciates baseball will be more than enough for Friedman to jump ship to come to Chicago.  The opportunity to become a baseball immortal by guiding the worst franchise in American sports history to it’s first World Championship in over a century will simply be icing on the cake.

No future?

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Despite owning the first-place Milwaukee Brewers the last two nights, the Cubs hope to claim the dubious honor of becoming the final team in the majors to win three in a row this season.  I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say it’s time to turn the page on this disastrous 2011 Cubs season and look toward the future.

But that’s where things get even more troubling for Cubs fans since there seems to be no real direction or plan from ownership and management.  I think Johnny Rotten had the same feeling about the fate of the British monarchy back in 1976: “No future!” (sorry, I know it’s a stretch, but I felt it was past time to throw in a seminal punk anthem on the blog).

Fingers are being pointed in every direction for the colossal failure by fans and media alike. There seems to be growing sentiment against new manager, Mike Quade, but he can only be accountable for what he does with the players he’s been given.  Pete and I witnessed him pull off an “according to Hoyle” miracle (have to throw in any Pulp Fiction reference whenever possible) Monday night when he beat a first place team with a Triple-A lineup replete with household names like Lou Montanez, Tony Campana, and French-rapper-turned-first-baseman, DJ LeMahieu. No, you can’t blame Quade for this mess, you’ve got to point the finger at the GM and the man paying him.

It’s still very early in his tenure and he seems like a genuinely nice guy, but owner Tom Ricketts doesn’t strike me as the next Mark Cuban who thinks of himself as a fan first and an owner second.  He hasn’t shown that he will do (i.e. spend) whatever it takes to win a world championship as Cuban has.  Ricketts seems far more concerned with the mystical Triangle Building—the most talked about geometric structure since the Pentagon—and getting his bison hot dogs into Wrigley than he does about the abysmal product he has on the field.

One could argue that Ricketts has been hamstrung by too many backloaded contracts for aging vets who are constantly injured or no longer producing (hey Alfonso, Aramis, Kosuke—are your ears burning?).  But the other major market teams (as the Cubs certainly should be considered) the Yankees and Red Sox have never let bad deals stop them from spending their way to the top.  They’ve simply spent more to overcome any bad decision or injury.

Even if Ricketts really doesn’t have the resources right now, which seems hard to believe, he still chose to retain the services of the architect of those criminally short-sighted deals that created the dire situation, Jim Hendry.  If Ricketts was truly concerned about winning he would have jettisoned Hendry as soon as he had the chance.  Instead he gave Hendry his vote of confidence thus endorsing perpetually schizophrenic decision making—vacillating between spending big money to win now and then capping spending to build for the future. Hendry’s fundamental flaw is that he has never been able to pick a lane and we are now seeing the results of his chronic indecision.

So is the plan to act like a major market club and spend what it takes to win, or build for the future? Cubs fans have been stuck in limbo for too long. Ricketts has to decide soon or there will be no future for Cubs fans to look forward to.