Believe it or not, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein signed his five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2012 season. He's already in line for an extension, but the negotiations have yet to commence.
Might offseason rumors focus on Epstein leaving the Cubs once his contract expires?
It's a scary thought for Cubs fans, but Epstein is due for a raise and there's a chance (no matter how small) the two sides may not agree on a fair annual salary, especially since the Los Angeles Dodgers set the bar high after giving Andrew Friedman $7 million per season.
Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer's rebuilding of the Cubs' is regarded as one of the best turnarounds in the MLB and that's something Epstein's agent will use to their side's advantage, considering where the Cubs were when he took control.
"Theo Epstein is up for an extension with the Cubs, and his timing couldn't be much better," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "Epstein set an executive bar with his first Cubs deal, which was reportedly for about $4 million annually, and it was bested by Andrew Friedman with the Dodgers, who is said to be making about $7 million a year. And some see Epstein as re-topping Friedman, especially considering how wonderfully the rebuild is going."
Could that be a problem for ownership if the team is active in free agency? Rumors have linked the Cubs to signing a top starting pitcher, and one such as David Price would cost them around $200 million. The club has other needs they'll look to address as well, and let's not forget starting pitcher Jake Arrieta will enter his first year of arbitration eligibility. Those are a lot of expenses for one offseason.
Is it possible Epstein ends up elsewhere if he doesn't get the money he feels he deserves, if that's at all of any significance to him? There are a number of teams that would throw the bank at Epstein if he were to enter next season with Chicago without an extension.
"One would expect owner Tom Ricketts to re-up soon to avoid a lame-duck status given how Epstein has rebuilt the team to the point where it should contend for many years to come," adds Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "Will Ricketts dangle enough salary to keep him there? Maybe make him as well-paid as Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman at $7 million per year? Or will Epstein look elsewhere? Like coming home?"
Probably not. Epstein is adamant about delivering a World Series title to the North Side of Chicago and it's likely Ricketts wants him to be the face of the front office if and when the team achieves such a feat.
At this point it's safe to say Epstein can pretty much name his price and Ricketts will sign off on that request, but it's at least interesting to ponder the idea of Epstein not being in Chicago beyond 2016 since there are many circumstances to consider.
