New GM/Cubs Future News Articles

[RammyFanny]

It seems likely that Epstein stays in Boston, but he may flirt with the Chicago Cubs, who would love to make a splash for the high-profile job.

 

If that doesn’t happen, the Cubs likely will turn their attention to a first-time GM. According to an industry source, the Cubs’ short list includes Epstein’s protégé, Boston senior VP Ben Cherington, Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and Atlanta’s pro scouting director John Coppolella.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/2011/10/names_and_things_to_consider_i.html

[Guest]

David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew, that Japanese reliever.

 

Any other pitchers? I'm having trouble thinking of their mid-2000s pitching staffs.

 

ETA: They paid through the nose for Curt Schilling, but they got solid value out of him except for one season.

 

Millar, Mueller, Damon, Arroyo, David Wells, Beckett, Scutaro, and a few more relievers like Timlin and Delcarmen. He's also much more active in the trade market than the average GM.

[UMFan83]

Matt Clement, although I don't think Theo knew he would be struck in the head by a batted ball and never be the same.

 

There's also that curious Josh Bard-Doug Mirabelli thing where the Sox traded Mirabelli to SD for Bard in the offseason and then after Bard could not catch Wakefield's knuckler, they had to frantically trade Bard plus a prospect back to SD for Bard, then immediately fly Mirabelli to Boston and straight to Fenway to catch Wakefield that night.

Edited October 4, 2011 by UMFan83

[Vinestal]

John Heyman Speculates via tweet:

not sure #cubs have directly contacted epstein or friedman, but see them as the top choices. also see both staying put

He's been wrong as much as he's been right so just another journalist speculating.

 

What does the bold part mean That the Cubs see them both staying put or Heyman does?

 

The Cubs see them both seeing put. According to him.

I'm not sure why the Cubs would see them as top choices if they thought they were both staying put. I think that's just Heyman's speculation.

[davell]

I'm more than OK if we wind up with any of Cherington, Hahn, or the Atlanta guy. It at least signifies a huge change in organizational philosophy. Don't get me wrong, Epstein or Friedman would be phenomenal, but if we wind up with the next version of one of those guys, I'm fine with that as well.

[Guest]

I'm more than OK if we wind up with any of Cherington, Hahn, or the Atlanta guy. It at least signifies a huge change in organizational philosophy. Don't get me wrong, Epstein or Friedman would be phenomenal, but if we wind up with the next version of one of those guys, I'm fine with that as well.

Me too. As long as it's not a retread.

[UMFan83]

Who is the Atlanta guy and how come I havent heard him mentioned up to this point?

[Guest]

Who is the Atlanta guy and how come I havent heard him mentioned up to this point?

 

 

John Coppolella. He was mentioned a bit early on in some of the speculation immediately following the firing.

 

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=59764&p=2662166&hilit=Coppolella#p2662166

[Hairyducked Idiot]

David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, J.D. Drew, that Japanese reliever.

 

Any other pitchers? I'm having trouble thinking of their mid-2000s pitching staffs.

 

ETA: They paid through the nose for Curt Schilling, but they got solid value out of him except for one season.

 

Millar, Mueller, Damon, Arroyo, David Wells, Beckett, Scutaro, and a few more relievers like Timlin and Delcarmen. He's also much more active in the trade market than the average GM.

 

Beckett was a trade. Mueller was amazing. Wells was a good pickup. I don't know if I'd consider Scutaro a positive move. Damon was signed the year before Epstein took over. Arroyo was a waiver pickup, but yeah that should probably count as an awesome steal. Millar gave them 2.5 fWAR across three seasons.

 

I'm far too lazy to ever do it, but I'd like to see some sort of sum total of FA dollars spent to value under his tenure. Would it come out better than Hendry's?

[dew1679666265]

Who is the Atlanta guy and how come I havent heard him mentioned up to this point?

 

John Coppolela. He's kind of a scouting/saber mixture guy who Fangraphs mentioned early on as an under the radar good hiring for the Cubs job (along with names like Hahn, Ng, and others). He's been mentioned a few times on this board.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Who is the Atlanta guy and how come I havent heard him mentioned up to this point?

 

John Coppolela. He's kind of a scouting/saber mixture guy who Fangraphs mentioned early on as an under the radar good hiring for the Cubs job (along with names like Hahn, Ng, and others). He's been mentioned a few times on this board.

 

Another thing about him (and Ng really) is that he came through the Yankee FO.

[Guest]

Beckett had to be retained after he was acquired. Much like Gonzalez, who I neglected to mention.

 

But really, it's all secondary to the point. You can try to divorce Epstein from the products of the farm system like he doesn't have anything to do with it, or that it doesn't impact his decision making whether or not he has guys like Lester, Pedroia, Ellsbury, etc. But the point remains that Epstein has averaged 93 wins per season for a decade in the most difficult division baseball. To focus on one aspect to search out negativities is to ignore his overwhelming success in his role.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Beckett had to be retained after he was acquired. Much like Gonzalez, who I neglected to mention.

 

But really, it's all secondary to the point. You can try to divorce Epstein from the products of the farm system like he doesn't have anything to do with it, or that it doesn't impact his decision making whether or not he has guys like Lester, Pedroia, Ellsbury, etc. But the point remains that Epstein has averaged 93 wins per season for a decade in the most difficult division baseball. To focus on one aspect to search out negativities is to ignore his overwhelming success in his role.

 

It's only being focused on because it's the only part that's being disputed.

 

Boston's homegrown player pipeline has been outstanding in his tenure. He's been able to parlay that into both promotions and trades that have served the major-league team extremely well. We all agree on that so it doesn't get discussed.

 

I think it's worth questioning how well that success will be able to translate to the Cubs.

 

1) Scouting and development relies on the entire organization more than any other part of a GM's job. And he's not bringing the entire Boston organization with him. Being GM while a ton of great prospects are produced is like being a slugger with a ton of RBIs. It probably means you are doing something right, but it's hard to nail it down more than that without more information

 

2) He's presumably going to be asked to help the Cubs aim for a quick turnaround via free agency. The farm system looks like it's still a few years away from being able to produce the type of talent that it took for him to make those trades in Boston.

[Joe_Cub]

Rogers (yep) latest spec is up

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-1004-cubs-gm--20111004,0,2294765.story

 

Who is the Atlanta guy and how come I havent heard him mentioned up to this point?

 

John Coppolela. He's kind of a scouting/saber mixture guy who Fangraphs mentioned early on as an under the radar good hiring for the Cubs job (along with names like Hahn, Ng, and others). He's been mentioned a few times on this board.

 

Another thing about him (and Ng really) is that he came through the Yankee FO.

 

lots on Coppolella there:

 

While much is known or has been written about Cherington and Hahn, Coppolella has not received a high degree of visibility in his work under Braves GM Frank Wren. He is drawing attention from the Cubs for his work with Atlanta's farm system, which, unlike the Cubs, is heavy on top pitching prospects.

 

A former student manager of the Notre Dame football team, Coppolella has been with the Braves five years after spending seven with the Yankees. He interned with the Angels.

 

Coppolella began his career doing statistical analysis but has also worked with some of baseball's top scouts, including Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer (who some believe could step in if Cashman leaves) and the Braves' Jim Fregosi. In a recent interview with the website mlbtraderumors.com, Coppolella said he learned much from a group of executives including John Schuerholz and Brian Cashman, saying that it was Oppenheimer who "got me to spend less time on the computer and more time in the stands."

 

most of all I'm relieved at the names being thrown around -- people who seem competent and able to put a coherent system into place.

[Guest]

I gotta say, as much as I hate Phil Rogers, he has been pretty good covering the GM search.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Any thoughts on Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' scouting director?

[davell]

Yeah, I'll give credit where it's due here. Rogers has been pretty solid covering this search. Don't like the last line though about final interviews may be two weeks away at least. I was hoping we'd get surprised quicker than that. Makes sense and all, but I'm pretty excited about the direction it seems we're taking and want this done. But, it's not going to surprise me if this winds up as the Roberts thread of this offseason.

[RammyFanny]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/8021874-573/cubs-could-gain-if-red-sox-lose.html

The scenario involves a quick-sequence domino effect that starts with the Cubs landing Red Sox general manager and Francona ally Theo Epstein for their GM vacancy, an effort that could gain significant momentum over the next several days and eventually result in a GM-manager package deal.

 

The Cubs’ interest in Epstein, 37, is strong. The biggest question had been whether Epstein would be willing, or allowed, to leave.

One high-ranking rival executive called Friedman ‘‘the best choice’’ for the Cubs and called Epstein ‘‘the safe choice.’’

 

Contrary to some reports, sources say the Cubs haven’t attempted to contact Friedman.

 

But the perception that Friedman wouldn’t come to Chicago given the synergy of the Rays’ owner-GM-manager dynamic might not be as airtight as many think. While those close to him believe he won’t leave, the Cubs job is the only other GM job that’s said to intrigue him.

 

Friedman won’t discuss his status.

Assuming Epstein’s interest and assuming Red Sox owner John Henry doesn’t deny the Cubs’ permission to talk to him, the Cubs’ interest could get tested when/if — as major-league execs expect — the Sox demand player compensation to let Epstein out of his contract.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Man, reports from experts from rival execs and those in the know make it sound like it's a two man race with a bunch of hopeful second placers sometimes. Eeeeeeeeeeenteresting, and mostly unbelievable.

[SouthSideRyan]

RammyFanny stuff

 

Spray Chart.

[Hollandsworths mug]

If the Red Sox are seriously going to ask for Castro or Garza for this as the Globe suggests, they can keep Theo. Edited October 4, 2011 by Hollandsworth's mug

[SouthSideRyan]

If the Red Sox are seriously ask for Castro or Garza for this as the Globe suggests, they can keep Theo.

 

Uhhhh link?

[Hollandsworths mug]

If the Red Sox are seriously ask for Castro or Garza for this as the Globe suggests, they can keep Theo.

 

Uhhhh link?

 

Made me laugh when I read it.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2011/10/04/red_sox_should_hold_out_for_big_package_for_theo_epstein/

[UMFan83]

Pretty sure that's not a serious demand its just some Boston writer making a point that the Sox should ask for some siginificant compensation if they let Theo go.

 

I'm pretty sure Theo wouldnt come here if we had to trade Castro and/or Garza to get him here.

 

We'll give them Josh Vitters and be done with it.

[Hollandsworths mug]

Pretty sure that's not a serious demand its just some Boston writer making a point that the Sox should ask for some siginificant compensation if they let Theo go.

 

I'm pretty sure Theo wouldnt come here if we had to trade Castro and/or Garza to get him here.

 

We'll give them Josh Vitters and be done with it.

 

I agree and as I said, if they even think about going that route, they can keep Theo.