Kaplan: No Extension for Theo Epstein, Planning to Leave

So, this shouldn’t be a surprise for many. When Theo Epstein arrived in Chicago it was on the heels of breaking a curse in Boston, his hometown team. He built a team that would win two World Series titles (and another after he left, 2013) but he walked away just as he could put the car in cruise control and ride it off to a Hall of Fame career.

He did so because he truly believes in Bill Walsh’s theory that coaches and executives in professional sports need to change every 10 years. The 2021 season would be Theo’s 10th season at the helm in Chicago.

David Kaplan is reporting that Theo and Cubs chairman, Tom Ricketts are set to meet to discuss his future next week. As Kaplan explains, Theo does not want to continue in Chicago and will be looking for his next “challenge”. The only remaining question is if Epstein will finish off the one-year remaining on his contract, or will he leave now allowing the Cubs to make necessary transitions now.

Kaplan also suggests that Jed Hoyer is internally the favorite to take over the reins and become the next president of baseball operations. There is a thought that Theo would stay on for the last season and helping to pass the torch to Jed as they transition him out of his current spot. The belief within the Cubs, as of now, is that Theo would stay around for the 2021 season.

Personally, if you or anyone else is asking me, he should hand the reins over the Jed next week. Then the Cubs either promote someone from within to become the next GM, or work fast to hire the next GM. Then they allow that GM to navigate the incredibly difficult player decisions this offseason.

Doing this will allow the next GM to create a team of his, or her, liking. With several players having contracts expiring after the 2021 season, the new GM would be free to re-sign who they want, trade who they would like, and allow the other’s to ride it out. With decisions on guys like Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Schwarber, the new GM would be able to rebuild the system and roster however they would like. Retaining them continues to provide a contending team in Chicago now, trading them would bring an influx of talent into the minor leagues and the potential to compete in 2024 and beyond.

Now, I don’t trust Kaplan and his reports. After he took many liberties on the suggestion that Bryant turned down a contract, his constant berating of the pre-2015 Cubs, and then writing a book almost trying to take credit for Theo and Jed’s success and championship here – I just don’t believe things he reports. You should question him too.

Epstein’s time in Chicago should be remembered kindly. He was the architect that build a World Series championship. He drafted or traded for most of the players that played a role in that championship. He created a full organizational system that hadn’t existed before. He brought the organization up to the technology age, created massive databases, and this organization now relies on technology on a daily basis. He’s responsible for this organization’s current worth and has put countless millions of dollars in the coffers of the Cubs bank account.

Oh, and did I mention he won the World Series in 2016? People forget that.

Yes, every executive in sports has their warts, Theo is no exception. He’s had moves that haven’t worked, he’s fell in love with some players and retained them longer than he should have, he’s had his fair share of poor free agency decisions. At the end of the day, he’s made far more good decisions than bad, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed. While he was arguably a future Hall of Fame executive before he arrived in Chicago, him ending the 108-year drought here solidified his claim in baseball immortality.

Wherever he turns for the next challenge, I am certain he will continue to bring success to that role. As for the Cubs, he’s living by the campsite rule and leaving the Cubs in a better condition than when he came.