Brett

bleacherREPORT lol Additionally, you can be certain that I will never sign up for a board and, in my second post, spam the place with my own garbage. I wait until my 400th post to spam a place with my own garbage.

If the Red Sox get anything more than a mediocre A-ball pitcher, they should be happy. Minor leaguers are valued way more now than they were valued in 1994. Technically, that would be a reason that the Twins got MORE in 1994 in terms of prospects than they could get for a comparable executive today. EDIT: I'm an awesome reader. Sorry, didn't see that someone had already made that point.

Dred Scott is no longer the law, sir. If he wasn't under their control then he would be a free agent and wouldn't need permission from the Sox to interview. My point stands, if the Sox allowed Theo to interview under the premise that they would be compensated then why should this come as a surprise to anyone? ...? Just a joke, homey.

Dred Scott is no longer the law, sir.

The thing that makes me nervous about the "they asked for Garza" story getting traction now: if it came from the Cubs, doesn't it seem like a leak designed to set up the "see how unreasonable the Red Sox were being? it's not our fault things fell through" defense. Obviously I'm not saying the Cubs should deal them Garza (or even McNutt). I'm just saying it makes me a little nervous.

If I'm Boston, now would be a great time to "leak" that a deal won't get done by tomorrow. I could take the Cubs' temperature, gauge fan reaction, and hope that the leverage swings in our favor when everyone screams, "OMG NO!!!1!!!!11!!! GIVE THEM MCNUTT!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!1!!!" I'm still not worried. Yet.

Back when the Cubs were negotiating with the Rays for Garza, rumor had it that the Rays wanted McNutt as the headline pitching prospect, and the Cubs insisted instead on Archer. Obviously Hendry is now gone, but Wilken/Fleita/Bush are not. Would one injury-filled, down year change their minds on the value of McNutt? If not, would they give up a kid they obviously think the world of? I have my doubts.

I agree. It's really well done site. Very simple and clean. Never heard of hybrid blog software before, but I really like the look of it. When did you start the site? I see you're ranking 156,000.. Do you tweet all your blogs? If not you should that number would decrease greatly in no at time at all. Thanks - BN started in December 2008, and I started working on it full-time in May of this year. I do indeed tweet all my posts ( ), and I put them up on Facebook as well (http://www.facebook.com/bleachernation). I do other stuff on Facebook and Twitter, also - just to keep them a little different/interesting. Not that I'm shamelessly self-promoting BN's Twitter and Facebook page, but since you asked... I think the hardest thing for BN to overcome is its name--and the potential connection with (and resultant connotation of) Bleacher Report. I would guess that it is something you probably already thought of, though. I retweeted Ace the other day and somebody got mad at me for using Bleacher Report(so they thought) as a source. Pretty sad people can't read two words. Yup, it sucks, and, unfortunately, it happens not-too-infrequently. Had I heard of Bleacher Report back when I started the site (BN came just eight months after BR started), I assuredly would have gone with a different name. Thanks for recognizing the (extreme) difference, for those of you who do.

I agree. It's really well done site. Very simple and clean. Never heard of hybrid blog software before, but I really like the look of it. When did you start the site? I see you're ranking 156,000.. Do you tweet all your blogs? If not you should that number would decrease greatly in no at time at all. Thanks - BN started in December 2008, and I started working on it full-time in May of this year. I do indeed tweet all my posts ( ), and I put them up on Facebook as well (http://www.facebook.com/bleachernation). I do other stuff on Facebook and Twitter, also - just to keep them a little different/interesting. Not that I'm shamelessly self-promoting BN's Twitter and Facebook page, but since you asked...

I feel the same way, he's done great work lately. Also recommend Cubs Den and The Cub Reporter (great for Arizona Phil's content). That's some high praise. Thanks, gents. And now, naturally, this latest rumor will prove unfounded, and I'll be banished to the depths of the unreadable masses...

he seems like the type that would just have his intern do the powerpoint'n While he takes his wife to Starbucks. Can't the intern get the coffee, too? What a slacker.

In 1994, the Cubs traded Hector Trinidad to the Twins for Andy MacPhail. He didn't become GM right away (President and CEO), but executive trades do happen. But no one in the universe would trade Starlin Castro for Theo Epstein.

Actually, it was a terrible, uninformed, link-baiting read.

And that feels right. The longer it goes, particularly with so much silence, is as much evidence that Epstein is strongly considering the move as any "rumor."

"Theo will stay in Boston, unless he doesn't." Heyman'd.

My guess is there would be a press conference scheduled by the Cubs for X time later in the day, and between the time of that announcement and the press conference, the news would leak. Pretty much how the Hendry firing conference day went down.

I don't think anyone's saying we care what their opinion is as to the ultimate question. But it's interesting to hear that they (Boston fans) are reacting to the tap dance the same way that we (Cubs fans) are. Depending on your biases, you can hear different things - so it's interesting that we all heard the same thing. I like you because you write stuff about the Cubs and there isn't enough decent stuff being written about the Cubs, so I'll let you know I was being sarcastic. So you know how to be sarcastic. Big whoop.

I don't think anyone's saying we care what their opinion is as to the ultimate question. But it's interesting to hear that they (Boston fans) are reacting to the tap dance the same way that we (Cubs fans) are. Depending on your biases, you can hear different things - so it's interesting that we all heard the same thing. Pretty sure that was a joke based on a comment from yesterday. I knew about the "big whoop" thing, but I thought the point was sincere (as in, who cares what radio dudes' reactions were (which, generally, I would agree with)). If not, my bust.

I don't think anyone's saying we care what their opinion is as to the ultimate question. But it's interesting to hear that they (Boston fans) are reacting to the tap dance the same way that we (Cubs fans) are. Depending on your biases, you can hear different things - so it's interesting that we all heard the same thing. So, you're saying uwannafightaboutit. You typin' to me?

I don't think anyone's saying we care what their opinion is as to the ultimate question. But it's interesting to hear that they (Boston fans) are reacting to the tap dance the same way that we (Cubs fans) are. Depending on your biases, you can hear different things - so it's interesting that we all heard the same thing.

(committing cardinal sin of posting link to own site, but...) If anyone wants to read a write-up of the interview, here's mine: http://www.bleachernation.com/2011/10/07/red-sox-owner-and-president-dodge-theo-epstein-to-cubs-rumors-but-owner-admits-theo-will-not-be-the-gm-forever/

Hosts still discussing the interview. They are reacting as we did - they think Theo's gone.

If Hendry were still the Cubs' GM, can you imagine Tom Ricketts and Crane Kenney having this kind of seasonal post-mortem on the radio without Hendry? I really can't. I know the Sox are different, and I know that there are other non-Cubs-related reasons he could be unavailable, but it seems pretty telling that Epstein isn't with them.

Where did you hear it was the 8th? I hadn't heard that, but it's kind of interesting if true. It's a little academic, though, as they could just pick it up, and continue "trade" discussions if they wanted Epstein to leave/Epstein wanted to leave.

That's really narrowing down a time frame. So... they want it settled by the time the Cubs win the World Series?