Laura

Spate of interesting tweets from Buster Olney -- looks like Theo had some sort of buyout arrangement with the Red Sox that the Cubs will be taking on. Buster_ESPN Buster Olney BOS fully prepared for Epstein's departure. One member of BOS's ownership group telling friends he feels betrayed,but is resigned to change. The Cubs have had a list of GM candidates, and Epstein's name was at the top of that list. Sources say he has met with CHC twice. For Epstein, his salary wouldn't change much in shifting from Red Sox to Cubs, which speaks to his desire for the next job opportunity. Epstein had negotiation conclusion bonus with BOS; Cubs assume that contractual obligation. Cubs' final compensation to Epstein in duration of his contract closer to $20 million than $15 million, because of $3.5m conclusion bonus. Sources: MLB has closely monitored Cubs' negotations with Epstein, given its concern over how his financial package would impact GM market. https://twitter.com/#!/Buster_ESPN

THE FANBOY OWNER HAS PROVEN HE'S IN OVER HIS HEAD! WORSE THAN THE TRIB FIRE CLOWN KENNEY I think Rosenbloom already wrote a blog entry about how targeting Theo was the wrong choice -- the target should be Lucchino.

Interesting: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/7089985/theo-epstein-verge-taking-job-chicago-cubs-sources-say

Buster_ESPN Buster Olney Source: Epstein would be restricted, through agreement of parties, from taking employees to CHC with him, except in cases BOS green lights. 5 minutes ago I want to stop reading twitter updates, but I CAN'T! This is brilliant. Yes, it made me laugh again!

NY Daily News sounds more final... Theo Epstein has elected to leave his $161 million Red Sox mess behind and take on the new challenge of bringing the first world championship to Wrigley Field since 1908 as general manager of the Chicago Cubs. The Daily News has learned from two sources that Epstein, the onetime "boy wonder" GM of the Red Sox who, in 2004, broke the "Curse of the Bambino" by bringing the Sox their first world championship since 1918 and then repeated as world champs three years later, has been engaged for two days in "serious and comprehensive" negotiations with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. According to one source, final contract details were in the process of being worked out Tuesday night and the only other detail, albeit an important one, was the compensation the Red Sox would receive from the Cubs. .... Apparently, the lure of ending the Cubs' 100-plus years of futility on top of what he was able to accomplish with the Red Sox, was simply too much for Epstein to resist. As one baseball official who knows him well said Tuesday night: "Bringing the Cubs a championship is Theo's ticket to the Hall of Fame. He knows that. That's why he couldn't pass that challenge up." The fact that the Cubs already have a scouting director (Tim Wilken) and a farm director (Oneri Fleita) in place as holdovers from Hendry's regime was never an issue for Epstein, one source said. "Wilken's highly respected in the industry and Fleita can always be moved to another position," said the source. It's expected that Epstein's final deal - in which the Cubs will name him President of Baseball Operations with current team president, Crane Kenney, having his title changed to President of Business Operations - will make him among the highest paid GMs in baseball if not the highest paid. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/10/11/2011-10-11_theo_epstein_headed_to_chicago_cubs_to_become_general_manager_leaves_boston_red_.html

NotTomRicketts Not Tom Ricketts If we don't get Theo, we still have our backup plan of Paul Konerko as player/GM. 5 minutes ago :lol:

There have been reports that the Cubs have told MLB that the position would be a promotion from his current position.

thekapman David Kaplan Okay, two impeccable sources tell me that Theo is wrestling with personal decision to leave his home in Boston. Has Red Sox in his heart. 50 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Steve Buckley was just on ESPN News. He said he's heard the the negotiations involve not only compensation, but whether Theo can bring anyone else along from the Boston front office (no names mentioned).

@Buster_ESPN Buster Olney Rival GM: "There is no chance those talks have advanced that far without Theo [Epstein] going to Chicago.... It's too far down the tracks." via web Favorite Retweet Reply

Here's the audio of the Shaer interview: http://audio.weei.com/a/46854152/chicago-media-insider-tom-shaer-gives-us-the-latest-on-theo-epstein-to-the-cubs.htm He's a Chicago sports guy who apparently doesn't know anything if he thinks the payroll is 100M Shaer says Ricketts would rather invest the money coming off the books next year into management, minor leagues, and other infrastructure (personnel & facilities) than payroll. Also says the offer will be in the ballpark of 5 guaranteed years, ~$2-4 million/year.

That's why he needs a constant coffee supply. @thekapman is just connecting the dots!!11

Phil Rogers

WEEI: According to a major league source, the Red Sox -- who are currently performing due diligence on potential managerial candidates -- will not bring in candidates to interview for the position until after the status of GM Theo Epstein is resolved. Epstein's future with the Sox, after 10 seasons with the organization and nine as general manager, is uncertain at the moment, at a time when the Cubs have requested permission to talk to him and there is a report of his being seen in a Chicago Starbucks. Given the importance of the relationship between the manager and general manager, the Sox appear set to wait until the identity of the GM is determined before they bring in candidates to investigate their fit for the job. That said, Epstein's status is only one element in preventing the Sox from interviewing candidates at this point. The team is also likely to interview one or more candidates who are still in the playoffs, something that will not occur until the relevant team or teams are eliminated. The issue is also not regarded as a significant impediment for the Sox, given that no other team in the majors is currently conducting a managerial search, and that the Sox did not start their last search -- the one that yielded manager Terry Francona -- until after former manager Grady Little had been fired near the end of October in 2003; Francona, who finished his eight-year tenure with the Sox two days after the end of this season, was not hired until early December 2003. ------------------- I still can't believe the play that Sulley got off the purple shirt guy report. Dan Shaughnessy was on WGN Radio this morning; just said that he expects this to be wrapped up 'soon.'

More 'maybe he will, maybe he won't,' but this time from Gordon Eades: http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7073053/red-sox-keep-polite-secrecy-concerning-theo-epstein-future Good stuff about the Billy Beane - Boston timeline in the lead-in.

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal Following @bradfo tweets on Henry, Lucchino appearance on @WEEI. Sounds like Henry is cushioning #RedSox fans for departure of Theo. #MLB

If they could say Theo was staying on and had accepted a promotion / extension, they would. It's a no-brainer.

If I were Theo, I'd be more concerned that my friends are telling Peter Gammons that I feel like I'm trapped in an elevator; my family has been threatened by nuts; I have a police cruiser posted outside my residence, presumably to safeguard my family; and I can't take my wife out to dinner in public than concerned about tweaking the Red Sox roster.

Rosenbloom is an embarrassment to Chicago. I wish someone would put him behind a paywall.

http://www.csnchicago.com/10/06/11/Next-Cubs-GM-will-face-great-expectation/landing_insider_mooney_loud3r.html

Maybe if Robin Ventura had any sort of managerial experience at all. How do you think Ryno thinks that when he wanted to manage the Cubs asked him to go to A ball and work his way up through the minors managing, which he did without complaint, and then when the Cubs job opened he was passed over, and then he sees the White Sox hire a guy with no managerial experience at all? I was anti-Ryno, and still am, but I can imagine it angers him to see that. Ryno will see red. I was joking, but you KNOW that will be the buzz -- if the White Sox can hire Ventura, why can't the Cubs hire Sandberg?

They pulled a Ryne Sandberg!

It's all over twitter.

Agreed and it is not even a news conference, it is a radio interview. It's 8 am ET, which is drivetime sports radio.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS The 'Friends of Tom' faction will be showing up soon. You mean The Fanboy Owner and his sidekick, Clown Kenney.