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No Traction Between Mets, Theo Epstein On Front Office Position

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As expected, Mets owner Steve Cohen was in contract with Theo Epstein about the team’s president of baseball operations opening, but Epstein won’t be taking over the Mets’ front office.  According to SNY’s Andy Martino (Twitter link), Cohen and Epstein “had a good conversation and both agreed that this was not the right opportunity.”

Epstein has been linked to the Mets on the rumor mill essentially since the moment he stepped down as the Cubs president of baseball ops last November, though Epstein said that he intended to take some time off before getting back into team management.  He instead took a consultant job with the Commissioner’s Office, and it appears as though Epstein will remain in that role for the foreseeable future.  Barring a surprise move in the coming days, the Mets look to be the only team in search of a new front office boss this offseason.

While it made natural sense for Cohen to look into Epstein’s availability, reports suggested that Epstein was seen as something of a longshot of a hire.  Beyond just running a front office, there have been suggestions that Epstein has his eyes on being at least a minority owner of his next team, if his next baseball job is even with a team at all — there have even been rumors that Epstein might look to succeed Rob Manfred as the next commissioner.

With Epstein out of the running, speculation will continue about two other major names reportedly on the Mets’ list, as Cohen is expected to request permission to speak with Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns and A’s executive VP Billy Beane.  Of the two, the “Mets still may have a legit shot at Beane,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets, though Beane himself downplayed the speculation.

“I wouldn’t even know that, honestly,” Beane told Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News and other reporters about the Mets’ plans to request an interview.  “Normally the process is they would call the owner which has happened in the past.  But to worry about this is to lend credibility to it.  It’s all just press reports.”  Of note, Beane also owns a small ownership stake in the Athletics, so that could be another hurdle to a hiring if Beane did have interest in leaving Oakland or if A’s ownership was willing to part ways.

Mets To Contact Theo Epstein; Plan To Ask Permission About Billy Beane, David Stearns

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The Mets’ search for a new president of baseball operations will lead to a chat with Theo Epstein, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link) that the Mets are planning to get in touch with Epstein “soon.”  Athletics executive VP Billy Beane and Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns are also on the Mets’ wishlist, as Heyman notes that New York intends to ask the A’s and Brewers for permission to speak with the two executives once Oakland’s season is over, and once Milwaukee’s postseason run is complete.

This isn’t the first time that these three names have been linked to the Mets’ search, and it remains to be seen how serious any of the trio are as candidates — Heyman tweeted just yesterday that Epstein and Stearns were “seen as unlikely gets.”  The pursuits of Beane and Stearns could be ended quickly, of course, if their current teams simply denied the Mets permission for a meeting.  While teams generally allow employees to interview for higher positions with other teams, Beane and Stearns are already atop their respective clubs’ decision-making pyramid.

As of Wednesday, New York hadn’t yet spoken to any candidates, team president Sandy Alderson told The Athletic’s Tim Britton (Twitter thread) and other reporters.  This could make Epstein the first name on the Mets’ list overall, and it would make sense that the team would check in with an unaffiliated potential candidate before tackling the thornier issue of permission from other clubs.

Alderson also noted the interesting detail that the Mets will make a decision on the fate of manager Luis Rojas and the current coaching staff soon after the season is over, even prior to the hiring of a new PoBO.  “I would hope those decisions are made with a new leadership potentially in mind, to make sure they have as much flexibility as possible,” Alderson said, which wouldn’t seem to bode well for Rojas’ chances of being retained.  The wait should be longer in deciding on the future of acting GM Zack Scott, whose next court date related to a DWI charge isn’t until October 7.  Alderson said the Mets will decide on Scott after there has been some resolution in his legal situation.

Latest On Mets’ Front Office

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For months, there’s been an expectation of an impending shakeup in the Mets’ front office. Last offseason’s GM hire Jared Porter was fired five weeks into his tenure after his past sexual harassment of a reporter was brought to light. Assistant GM Zack Scott was bumped up to acting general manager in Porter’s place, but Scott’s future with the organization is in question too after he was arrested and charged with DWI a few weeks back. Scott was placed on administrative leave, and team president Sandy Alderson — originally brought in to handle a broader, more supervisory role — had to assume control over day-to-day baseball operations.

Much about the forthcoming hiring process remains undetermined, but Anthony DiComo of MLB.com notes that the team intends to bring in a president of baseball operations this winter. Alderson will remain with the organization and move back into the broader team president role for which he initially signed up, tweets Tim Healey of Newsday. That’s not especially surprising, since Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported last week that Alderson was under contract through the end of next year but had no intention of running baseball operations on a daily basis and was intending to move back into the president role.

There have been some calls for owner Steve Cohen to move on from Alderson due to questions about his vetting of previous hires. In addition to Porter and Scott, Alderson hired Mickey Callaway as manager during his previous stint as Mets’ GM. Multiple women have since accused Callaway of sexual misconduct — some of which ostensibly occurred during his time in New York. An MLB investigation determined he acted inappropriately, and Callaway was placed on the league’s ineligible list through 2022.

Despite that history, the Mets are set to give Alderson another opportunity to shape the front office. Cohen and Alderson will jointly run the hiring process for the incoming president of baseball ops, according to Joel Sherman and Greg Joyce of the New York Post. That prospective hire would then be empowered to bring in their own lieutenants to assist in daily operations.

Theo Epstein has already been speculated upon as a potential candidate, and Sherman and Joyce report that Cohen would be “open to considering” the former Cubs’ president. Epstein, though, is said to want a minority ownership share in an organization if he’s to return to baseball operations. It’s unclear if the Mets would entertain that kind of scenario.

In addition to the front office revamp, there are questions about Luis Rojas’ future as manager. The 40-year-old signed a two-year contract during his hiring over the 2019-20 offseason; barring any sort of unannounced extension, he’s in the final few weeks of the guaranteed portion of that deal, although the contract does reportedly contain multiple club options. Three games under .500, the Mets look likely to miss the playoffs for the second year of Rojas’ tenure despite entering the season with reasonably high expectations.

It’s impossible to pin the blame for that entirely on Rojas. The team dealt with a series of key injuries early in the season and some of the roster’s most notable players have underperformed. But the on-field results simply haven’t been good enough to silence speculation about Rojas’ long-term future, particularly since he was first hired by the previous Wilpon family ownership group and former GM Brodie Van Wagenen.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported last night that Alderson has expressed a desire to retain Rojas as manager next season. Puma adds, however, that Cohen and the incoming president of baseball ops are expected to have significant input in that decision. According to Puma, Cohen — at the time a minority owner — “really liked” the Mets’ decision to hire Carlos Beltrán as skipper in November 2019. Beltrán was fired just a few months later after his role in the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal came to light (leading to Rojas subsequently getting the position), and he hasn’t been seriously mentioned as a potential managerial candidate in the nearly two years since.

That’s not to say the Mets are seriously considering replacing Rojas with Beltrán. For one, Cohen himself rather bizarrely pushed back on Puma’s reporting this morning (on Twitter). And Puma’s report didn’t suggest the Mets were actively considering Beltrán at this point. Cohen obviously wouldn’t have been the only member of the organization enamored with Beltrán’s qualifications at the time he was hired. The intervening revelations of his role in the sign-stealing scandal could have changed that opinion. Of course, then-Astros manager A.J. Hinch and bench coach Alex Cora — both of whom were suspended and fired from their respective positions elsewhere for their roles in the scandal — quickly landed managerial jobs once their suspensions concluded at the end of last season, so it’s not as if the industry at large has proven unforgiving.

There’s a lot about the Mets’ direction yet to be determined. The team will presumably look into executives currently in high positions with other teams. Three top personnel — Seattle’s Jerry Dipoto, Tampa Bay’s Erik Neander and Kansas City’s Dayton Moore — were recently promoted to president of baseball operations by their current clubs, presumably at least in part to guard against potential poaching this offseason by teams seeking a president of baseball ops themselves. It wouldn’t be surprising to see more instances of that kind of gamesmanship before the offseason hiring processes really kick off.

Latest Rumors On Mets’ Front Office

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The Mets again find themselves in the midst of an effort to reshape their front office, less than a year after already making sweeping changes under new owner Steve Cohen. Team president Sandy Alderson temporarily assumed oversight of baseball operations last week as the team put acting GM Zack Scott on administrative leave following a DWI arrest, but there’s little expectation Alderson will return to the top of the baseball ops hierarchy on a full-time basis.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets today that Alderson signed a two-year deal to help Cohen’s ownership transition and front office changes, but he had no desire to return to a full-time baseball operations role. The team’s plan for the 2022 season is to have Alderson return to a broader-reaching team president role without directly running the baseball operations department. A new hire will need to be made, as has already been widely suggested in the wake of Scott’s DWI charge.

Cohen’s Mets were connected to numerous high-profile candidates last year in looking to fill their baseball operations void after parting ways with Brodie Van Wagenen, but several either declined to interview or were denied permission to do so. Teams generally only permit their executives to interview with other clubs if the position is a promotion over their current post. It’s probably not a coincidence that the Rays not only extended general manager Erik Neander but promoted him to president of baseball operations just yesterday; Neander was known to be of interest to the Mets last year.

There’s been quite a bit of recent speculation on Theo Epstein as a candidate. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman all wrote on the topic within the same 24-hour period. Of course, as Rosenthal pointed out, it was Epstein who originally hired both Scott and Jared Porter — the former Mets GM who was fired a month into his tenure last offseason following revelations of past harassment of a reporter. Both joined the Red Sox under Epstein’s watch, and Epstein brought Porter to Chicago not long after being named Cubs president of baseball operations.

The optics of that aren’t necessarily damning, but a cleaner break from that tree might also be welcome. Furthermore, SNY’s Andy Martino wrote this week that nearly everyone he’s spoken to has strongly downplayed the Epstein rumors. All three Epstein columns also mention the possibility that he’d look to secure a minority stake with any team he joins, and Martino suggests the same: that Epstein is seeking a partial ownership opportunity.

Looking around the league, there aren’t many high-profile executives who’d seem like candidates to depart their current post and take on the spotlight of the Mets’ presidency. Twins GM Thad Levine and Indians GM Mike Chernoff both declined the opportunity to interview last offseason. A’s GM David Forst was reported to be of interest to the Mets (and the Angels), but there’s no indication he ever actually interviewed (or even spoke with) either club.

Heyman somewhat speculatively suggests two other executives whose names have been or could be of interest to the Mets: Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes and Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. Martino, in similar fashion, listed off three more high-profile execs who’d be making lateral moves and require ownership permission to even interview: Cleveland’s Chris Antonetti, Minnesota’s Derek Falvey and Oakland’s Billy Beane.

Byrnes would make a fairly logical candidate for the Mets to pursue. He’s a high-ranking member of a large-payroll, consistently successful organization, but the Mets’ top baseball ops job would still represent a promotion for him. He’s also served as general manager of both the Padres and the Diamondbacks in the past, so he’s no stranger to running a baseball operations outfit himself. Somewhat coincidentally, Byrnes was the other finalist for the Mets’ GM post back in 2010 when the team ultimately hired Alderson to take over baseball operations.

As for Daniels, he would be making a lateral move, from one president of baseball ops role to another. However, the Rangers also just recently hired Chris Young as their new general manager, and that could be viewed as a means of grooming an eventual heir-apparent for Daniels, who was extended on a contract of still-unreported length back in 2018. Daniels — a Queens native, for what it’s worth — has been running the Rangers’ baseball operations department since being appointed general manager at just 28 years of age in the 2005-06 offseason.

Daniels’ situation bears some similarity to that of Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns, whose name was recently raised in connection with the Mets by ESPN’s Buster Olney. However, there are also some key differences. As is the case with the Rangers, the Brewers just named a new general manager, Matt Arnold, to serve under Stearns (who is, like Daniels, a New York native). The key difference is that Arnold was promoted to GM from within at a time when the Mets were known to be looking to hire a GM; Young was hired by the Rangers from outside the organization. (Although he also interviewed for the Mets’ job last offseason before joining the Rangers.)

Stearns is also newer to the Brewers’ top job than Daniels is to his own post. His contract extension and promotion are both more recent as well. There’s little reason to think Brewers owner Mark Attanasio would be open to allowing Stearns to depart when he’s still under contract another year and when the Brewers have emerged as one of the best teams in all of baseball. The Brewers denied him permission to interview last offseason, Martino notes.

Suffice it to say, speculation already abounds with regard to the Mets’ front office, and that’s before the team has even truly begun its search for a new baseball operations leader in earnest. These names and a dozen or more others will likely be tied to the Mets in the weeks and months to come, before a hire is ultimately made.

MLB Planning To Reinstitute Pitcher Limit On Active Rosters In 2022

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Major League Baseball will again limit teams to carrying thirteen pitchers on the active roster when the 2022 season begins, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. MLB instituted a 13-pitcher limit in February 2020, but the rule has been waived in each of the past two seasons as part of the MLB-MLBPA agreements on COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Interestingly, the 13-pitcher limit may just be the beginning. The league is open to capping the number of hurlers on an active roster at twelve or perhaps eleven further down the line, per Nightengale.

Teams have become more aggressive in deploying relievers in recent seasons. Fresher arms have contributed to increased velocity across the board. The league is averaging 93.4 MPH on fastballs, 84.5 MPH on sliders and 79.5 MPH on curveballs this season, per FanGraphs. In 2002- the first year for which FanGraphs has pitch data- those offerings averaged 89.0 MPH, 80.4 MPH and 75.0 MPH, respectively.

More frequent reliever usage isn’t the only reason pitch speeds have dramatically accelerated in recent years; teams are also selecting for and training velocity in a more targeted way than ever. Nevertheless, there seems to be merit to the belief that shorter per-game stints for pitchers has some role in the uptick. By limiting the number of relievers a team can carry at any given time, the hope is teams will be compelled to stick with pitchers (predominantly starters) longer in games, thereby leveling off or decreasing the continued improvement in the quality of pitchers’ repertoires.

That’s all done in an attempt to curb the strikeouts that have become so prevalent in today’s game. Hitters are punching out in 24.2% of plate appearances this season, a 0.8 point increase relative to last year. Some of that is a result of the return of pitcher hitting in the National League after a 2020 season with a universal DH, but it’s certainly not a new development. The leaguewide strikeout rate has risen every year since 2006, setting a new all-time high each time. (Again using 2002 as a reference point, the strikeout rate is up more than seven points from that year’s 16.8% mark). The lack of balls in play has led to concerns about the quality of the on-field product, with the game more static than ever before.

Pitchers’ widespread use of foreign substances on the ball is another potential driver of the uptick in whiffs. Grip enhancers have been shown to increase pitchers’ ability to spin the ball, leading to sharper movement and more swings and misses. MLB has suggested in the past they planned to crack down on foreign substance usage, and Nightengale reports the league has now ordered umpires to be “vigilant” in that effort, with increased enforcement expected in the next two weeks.

Earlier this week, umpire Joe West confiscated the cap of Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos based on a belief the righty had applied a foreign substance to the brim. That drew the ire of St. Louis manager Mike Shildt, who called foreign substance use “baseball’s dirty little secret” and argued the decision to single out Gallegos for such a widespread practice was “the wrong time and the wrong arena to expose it” (via Ryan Wormeli of NBC Sports Chicago). With the league now pushing umpires to intervene to limit foreign substance use, it wouldn’t be a surprise if similar situations arose in the coming days.

It also seems electronic calling of balls and strikes will be in play in the not too distant future- Nightengale suggests it could be in the majors within three years from now- with a corresponding modification of the rulebook strike zone. “When (the electronic strike zone) comes, it’s really easy to make adjustments in the strike zone,” MLB consultant Theo Epstein tells Nightengale. “We’re trying to optimize contact. So, the way the strike zone used to be a little bit wider and a little bit shorter, which was better for contact. Now, it’s really tall, but narrow. So you can shrink the zone a little bit, especially the upper boundary, which might be better for inducing more contact.’’

Nightengale’s piece is well worth a full read for those interested in the state of the game. Epstein explains his perspective on why the sport has trended the direction it has, offering some hypotheses about ways to incentivize a more traditional, contact-oriented style of play. The former Red Sox and Cubs executive also explains the thought processes behind the experimental rules changes currently being tested at various levels of the minor leagues and in independent ball.

MLB Names Theo Epstein Consultant To Commissioner’s Office

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Major League Baseball announced today that former Red Sox general manager and Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has joined the commissioner’s office as a consultant to Rob Manfred. Specifically, Epstein will focus his efforts on “on-field matters,” including (but presumably not limited to) the effects that proposed rule changes would bring about. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score first reported (via Twitter) that Epstein, who stepped down from his post with the Cubs earlier this winter, would be named to the new post. Epstein turned away interest from other clubs who had interest in hiring him for a new baseball operations jobs.

Theo Epstein | Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

“Theo is one of the most accomplished and thoughtful people in our sport,” commissioner Manfred said in a statement announcing the news. “I am grateful that he has accepted our invitation to complement our ongoing efforts and provide his insights on making the best game in the world even better for the next generation of fans.”

From the moment Epstein stepped down from his position with the Cubs, there’s been speculation about him eventually taking a position with the league. Epstein acknowledged at the time that he had played an inadvertent role in damaging the sport’s aesthetic by helping to pioneer an analytics push that has curbed in-game action. He’s also often been an advocate for expanding the reach and appeal of the game. Some have suggested that Epstein himself may even be an eventual successor for Manfred, although Manfred’s current contract runs through the 2024 season.

“It is an honor to assist the efforts by Major League Baseball and the Competition Committee to improve the on-field product, and I appreciate Commissioner Manfred asking me to be a part of these important conversations,” said Epstein in his own prepared statement. “As the game evolves, we all have an interest in ensuring the changes we see on the field make the game as entertaining and action-packed as possible for the fans, while preserving all that makes baseball so special. I look forward to working with interested parties throughout the industry to help us collectively navigate toward the very best version of our game.”

There’s no indication yet as to whether this is a temporary post or a gateway to a more permanent position within the commissioner’s office. Epstein said when he stepped away from the Cubs and rebuffed interest in new baseball ops ventures that he hoped to spend more time with his family. His status as a consultant with the league will keep him involved in the game but afford him more time at home. Presumably, given Epstein’s track record, other clubs will come calling in future offseasons whether he’s under contract or not — but his status as a consultant at least ostensibly leaves the door open for a return to a club’s front office at some point.

Latest On Phillies’ GM Search: Byrnes, Epstein

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The Phillies have shown interest in Dodgers assistant general manager Jeff Kingston for their open GM job, but they’re also eyeing another member of LA’s front office: senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes. “There are strong indications” the Phillies met with Byrnes last week, Jayson Stark of The Athletic writes.

On the other hand, Theo Epstein is not a candidate for the Philadelphia job. Owner John Middleton did reach out to Epstein, per Stark, but the former Cubs president of baseball operations informed the Phillies he isn’t interested in the position. He’s likely to take at least a year off from running a club’s front office.

The 50-year-old Byrnes joins the previously reported Michael Hill as another former GM to meet with the Phillies regarding their vacancy. Byrnes was the GM of the Diamondbacks from 2006-10, and he then led the Padres from 2011-14. Neither one of those tenures worked out as hoped for Byrnes, but he has nonetheless been a popular GM candidate around the league in recent offseasons. It helps that Byrnes has been a prominent part of the Dodgers’ front office, arguably the best in the game, for seven seasons.

Alderson On Mets’ Front Office, Rojas, Cano, Conforto

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Newly named Mets president Sandy Alderson shed some light Monday on how the club will configure its front office and its coaching staff in 2021, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Tim Britton of The Athletic were among those to report. The Mets will not hire a president of baseball operations, according to Alderson, who also revealed that Luis Rojas will stay on as their manager.

There have been questions about who will run the Mets’ baseball ops since they parted ways with general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. They will name a GM to replace him, and they have already interviewed roughly a half-dozen candidates, according to Alderson (via Britton). It’s unclear which individuals are in the running to fill that role, but former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and current Mets senior vice president John Ricco are not among them. It’s also unknown how long the Mets plan on taking to hire a successor to Van Wagenen.

As for Rojas, he became the Mets’ manager under their prior regime, but he’s a longtime employee of the club who is familiar with Alderson from the latter’s previous run in the team’s front office. The 39-year-old managed the Mets to an underwhelming 26-34 record in 2020, but he’ll get an opportunity to right the ship next season.

Second baseman Robinson Cano was one of Rojas’ most productive players in 2020, but he won’t play next year after receiving a 162-game suspension without pay last week for performance-enhancing drugs. The Mets are not considering releasing Cano, who’s due $48MM from 2022-23, “at this point,” per Alderson (via DiComo). However, Alderson admitted that could change “down the road.”

Like Cano, outfielder Michael Conforto is facing an uncertain future with the Mets. Conforto, 27, only has one season of arbitration control left, though Alderson stated (per DiComo) that the club will approach his camp about a contract extension sometime in the coming months.

“Yes, at some point, I’m sure we will broach that topic and take their temperature, and see where those things stand,” Alderson said.

Conforto is coming off a career year in which he slashed .322/.412/.515 (157 wRC+) with nine home runs across 233 plate appearances.  Barring an extension, Conforto should make anywhere from $9MM to $13.6MM in arbitration.

Phillies Front Office Rumors: Epstein, Hill

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The Phillies have a couple of high-profile names on their list as they seek a new front office head. The club will check on Theo Epstein’s interest in becoming its next president of baseball operations, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. It’s also planning to interview former Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill, per Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic. Philadelphia’s the latest team to show interest in Hill, who previously interviewed with the Angels and Mets for prominent front office positions. However, the Angels went on to hire Perry Minasian as their GM.

Epstein may be an extreme long shot for the Phillies, as he suggested when he resigned from the Cubs on Tuesday that he’s going to take a year away from the game. From the Phillies’ perspective, though, it’s at least worth trying to coax a three-time World Series winner and a future Hall of Famer into leading its front office.

Hill had an 18-year tenure in Miami’s front office before the club parted with him in October. While there wasn’t a great deal of team success during that span, it’s hard to place much blame on Hill, who spent the majority of it working under maligned ex-owner Jeffrey Loria and was at a payroll disadvantage. To Hill’s credit, he did help build a playoff team in his final year with the Marlins. Nevertheless, that wasn’t enough to save his job.

In heading to Philadelphia, Epstein or Hill would grab the reins from current president of baseball ops Andy MacPhail, who has become a placeholder as the Phillies seek a long-term answer. MacPhail plans to retire at the end of the 2021 season at the latest, but if the Phillies are able to find someone to take over for him before then, he’s poised to step aside. He and interim GM Ned Rice are currently running the Phillies’ front office.

Theo Epstein Steps Down As Cubs President Of Baseball Operations

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1:48PM: In a press conference this afternoon, Epstein told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters that he “won’t be paid in 2021, which is appropriate and the right thing.”  The salary was not a “primary” factor in his decision to resign but it was “part of the equation.”  As per the reported terms of Epstein’s last contract extension, he was set to make roughly $10MM in 2021.

11:04AM: Theo Epstein has stepped down as the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, as per a team announcement.  The move is effective as of November 20.  General manager Jed Hoyer will step into Epstein’s role.

Epstein issued the following statement:

“For the rest of my life, I will cherish having been part of the great Chicago Cubs organization during this historic period.  All of the things that have made this experience so special — the fans, the players, the managers and coaches, ownership, my front office colleagues, the uniqueness of the Wrigley experience, the history — make it so tough to leave the Cubs.  But I believe this is the right decision for me even if it’s a difficult one.  And now is the right time rather than a year from now.  The organization faces a number of decisions this winter that carry long-term consequences; those types of decisions are best made by someone who will be here for a long period rather than just one more year.  Jed has earned this opportunity and is absolutely the right person to take over this baseball operation at such an important time.”

“I am grateful to everyone with the Cubs: to the Ricketts family for this opportunity as well as for their loyalty; to the fans for their support and the depth of their emotional connection with the team; and to the players, coaches, staff and my front office colleagues for their friendship, excellence and dedication to helping us accomplish our initial goals of regular October baseball and a World Championship.”

There was widespread speculation that Epstein would leave the organization after the 2021 season, when his contract was up.  (Epstein himself is on record as saying that remaining in one job for too long a period isn’t necessarily beneficial to either the employee or the team.)  Today’s news jumpstarts that timeline and removes any lingering “lame duck” feeling over the Cubs’ decision-making process this offseason and throughout 2021.

Of course, the next round of speculation immediately turned towards whether or not Epstein could be turning towards another challenge — namely the open president of baseball ops positions with the Mets or Phillies.  According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, however, Epstein will not be immediately taking another job and will instead take 2021 off.  Epstein confirmed the same in a letter to friends, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports, saying that “Next summer will be my first in 30 years not clocking into work every day at a major league ballpark.…I do plan on having a third chapter leading a baseball organization someday, though I do not expect it to be next year.”  Despite Epstein’s declaration, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine tweets that the Phillies are still planning to “aggressively” pursue Epstein’s services.

Since joining the Cubs in October 2011, Epstein oversaw an extensive, multi-year rebuilding process that delivered the most sustained run of success at Wrigley Field in over a century.  Over the last six seasons, the Cubs have captured three NL Central titles, reached the postseason five times, and finally ended their World Series drought by capturing the championship in 2016.

Over nine seasons in Chicago and nine seasons as the Red Sox general manager, Epstein has long since booked his ticket into Cooperstown, with three World Series titles (and two broken curses) on his resume.  Epstein is still over a month away from his 47th birthday, so there is plenty of time for him to add further chapters to his already legendary career.  As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark wrote in a piece this morning, that next step could be a CEO role with a team rather than working as a president of baseball operations, perhaps looking “to form an ownership group with like-minded people and/or longtime associates, then attempt to purchase a club.”

Hoyer’s contract was also rumored to be up after the 2021 season, but he and the Cubs are putting the finishing touches on an extension, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reports.  Hoyer has been one of Epstein’s chief lieutenants for a total of 17 seasons in both Boston and Chicago, and he also has past experience running a baseball ops department when he was the Padres’ general manager in 2010-11.

With the baton officially passed, Hoyer will now be in charge of what could be a transformative offseason in Wrigleyville.  As successful as the Cubs have been under Epstein, there is also some sense of underachievement, as the team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017.  The core group of the 2016 championship team has gotten older, more expensive through arbitration and, in some cases, less effective on the field.

The Cubs now seem open to trading from this veteran core in order to both save payroll space in the wake of pandemic-lowered revenues and to perhaps spark something of a rebuild on the fly.  In the press release, both Hoyer and team chairman Tom Ricketts used the phrase “sustained success” to describe the Cubs’ next phase, and while this offseason’s moves will ultimately tell the tale, there isn’t yet any indication that the Cubs aren’t planning to contend in 2021.

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