Shrewd Dealings...
Today it was announced that Boston GM Theo Epstein didn't want to re-up on his contract, and instead declined an offer from the Red Sox that would have paid him roughly $1.2 million a year.
This turn of events is rather shocking, but hardly illogical.
During Epstein's three-year tenure as Red Sox GM, Boston finished a game away from the World Series in 2003, won the World Series in 2004, and made the playoffs before running into a "destined" White Sox team, which quickly disposed of the BoSox. During the playoffs, Boston's starting pitching was exposed as being shaky, inconsistent, and full of holes. Similarly, there were problems with the bullpen, as Keith Foulke was unable to close, leaving Mike Timlin, the basic definition of a set-up guy, as the stopper. Although Timlin pitched well, he was (and is) hardly the long-term answer, leaving the Red Sox with a rather precarious subset of decisions to make in the offseason.
Perhaps Epstein saw the writing on the wall.
At 32, Epstein has hardly reached the apex of his career. But it's possible that he could have climbed no further as a member of the Red Sox organization. We can credit Theo with quickly putting together a roster that could compete for a title. We can also credit Theo with making sure "all the right pieces" were available for a late-season run. But, like virtually every other GM on the planet, we can't credit Theo with being able to keep the camaraderie and chemistry of the team together year after year. In that respect, Epstein can hardly be at fault; his off-season signings were well-conceived, but ill-received.
For one thing, Epstein inherited an albatross, both contractually and in the clubhouse. The name: Manny Ramirez. Ramirez's gaudy contract made him (and continues to make) him practically impossible to trade. Yet his clubhouse presence made his exit desirable, and the Red Sox have tried (and failed) to facilitate his requested departure. The problem is complex; Ramirez is too good to dump, but not worth the contract that he signed for. He is also the key of the Red Sox lineup- his presence essentially assures David Ortiz of seeing pitches to hit every night. So the Red Sox need and don't need Manny, and he continues to tie up the Red Sox payroll.
Another matter came with the sharp decline of Curt Schilling, who wasn't exactly a beacon to the clubhouse this year either. Keith Foulke's contract is large, Matt Clement is committed long-term, and Edgar Renteria had a substantially disappointing year. In short, Epstein was staring a salary cap nightmare straight in the face, with the knowledge that any sort of "rebuilding" wasn't an option.
The meaning of the resignation is subsequently clear: Epstein can leave at the top, start over in between, and retain his reputation as a baseball genius. He can leave Boston's numerous offseason problems to someone else, and bask in the glory of his success. In that regard, Epstein's final act of general managing comes in an area that seems most important: his own career.
This turn of events is rather shocking, but hardly illogical.
During Epstein's three-year tenure as Red Sox GM, Boston finished a game away from the World Series in 2003, won the World Series in 2004, and made the playoffs before running into a "destined" White Sox team, which quickly disposed of the BoSox. During the playoffs, Boston's starting pitching was exposed as being shaky, inconsistent, and full of holes. Similarly, there were problems with the bullpen, as Keith Foulke was unable to close, leaving Mike Timlin, the basic definition of a set-up guy, as the stopper. Although Timlin pitched well, he was (and is) hardly the long-term answer, leaving the Red Sox with a rather precarious subset of decisions to make in the offseason.
Perhaps Epstein saw the writing on the wall.
At 32, Epstein has hardly reached the apex of his career. But it's possible that he could have climbed no further as a member of the Red Sox organization. We can credit Theo with quickly putting together a roster that could compete for a title. We can also credit Theo with making sure "all the right pieces" were available for a late-season run. But, like virtually every other GM on the planet, we can't credit Theo with being able to keep the camaraderie and chemistry of the team together year after year. In that respect, Epstein can hardly be at fault; his off-season signings were well-conceived, but ill-received.
For one thing, Epstein inherited an albatross, both contractually and in the clubhouse. The name: Manny Ramirez. Ramirez's gaudy contract made him (and continues to make) him practically impossible to trade. Yet his clubhouse presence made his exit desirable, and the Red Sox have tried (and failed) to facilitate his requested departure. The problem is complex; Ramirez is too good to dump, but not worth the contract that he signed for. He is also the key of the Red Sox lineup- his presence essentially assures David Ortiz of seeing pitches to hit every night. So the Red Sox need and don't need Manny, and he continues to tie up the Red Sox payroll.
Another matter came with the sharp decline of Curt Schilling, who wasn't exactly a beacon to the clubhouse this year either. Keith Foulke's contract is large, Matt Clement is committed long-term, and Edgar Renteria had a substantially disappointing year. In short, Epstein was staring a salary cap nightmare straight in the face, with the knowledge that any sort of "rebuilding" wasn't an option.
The meaning of the resignation is subsequently clear: Epstein can leave at the top, start over in between, and retain his reputation as a baseball genius. He can leave Boston's numerous offseason problems to someone else, and bask in the glory of his success. In that regard, Epstein's final act of general managing comes in an area that seems most important: his own career.
posted by mike at 3:26 PM
1 Comments:
Line of the night:
Danny Fortson:
8 minutes
0-0 shooting
0 rebounds
0 assists
0 turnovers
5 personal fouls
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