Epstein Rejects Extension Amid Deteriorating Relationships
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Epstein Declines Contract Extension,
Resigns As Red Sox GM |
Red Sox Senior VP & GM Theo Epstein has declined the team’s offer for a contract
extension. Epstein will continue to work with the organization for several days
to assist in the transition and help prepare for the annual GM meetings next week.
Epstein in a statement said, “My decision not to return as [GM] is an extremely
difficult one. ... I gave my entire heart and soul to the organization. During
the process leading up to today’s decision, I came to the conclusion that I can
no longer do so” (THE DAILY).
WHAT “SOURED” THEO? In Boston, Michael Silverman notes Epstein declined
the Red Sox’ offer for a three-year contract extension worth $1.5M annually. Sources
said that a “key factor that ultimately soured Epstein” was a Sunday column by
the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy, “which revealed too much inside information
about the relationship between Epstein and his mentor, [Red Sox President & CEO]
Larry Lucchino, and slanted the coverage” in Lucchino’s favor. Epstein believed
that Lucchino was “a primary source behind the column and came to the realization
that if this information was leaked hours before he was going to agree to a long-term
deal, excessive bad faith existed between the two.” Despite a report in Monday’s
Globe that Epstein had agreed to the contract extension, Silverman wrote he “had
not made up his mind about accepting the job before going to bed Sunday night”
(BOSTON HERALD, 11/1).
LAYING THE BLAME ON LUCCHINO: The back-page headline of today’s BOSTON
HERALD reads, “Thanks Larry.” The front-page of the paper also highlights Epstein’s
departure, with one subhead reading, “How The Globe Blew It” (BOSTON HERALD,
11/1). The HERALD’S Tony Massarotti writes Lucchino “botched this from Day
One.” Losing Epstein “will go down as one of the great management blunders in
the history of the franchise” (BOSTON HERALD, 11/1). In Hartford, Jeff
Jacobs writes “perceptions that Lucchino couldn’t live without the control is
a reality he’ll have to combat” (HARTFORD COURANT, 11/1). But ESPN’s Peter
Gammons said, “People are going to bash Larry Lucchino here. I don’t believe that
Larry Lucchino was the source of the leaks of a lot of the stuff that came out.”
Gammons added money “was not the issue. ... (Epstein) is an extremely private
person, and all the PR and hype that sometimes goes with that organization bothered
him” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 10/31).
STEELY DAN: The BOSTON GLOBE’s Shaughnessy on Sunday wrote, “Lucchino-bashers
... maintain that he repeatedly has undermined Theo and on occasion killed deals
made by Epstein and the minions. There was one, for sure,” a proposed trade with
the Rockies (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/30). Shaughnessy today writes that according
to “the version put forth by Epstein’s camp, Lucchino killed the deal unilaterally,
damaging Epstein’s reputation with the Rockies and other clubs. Lucchino was routinely
trashed by” ESPN’s Gammons and the Rocky Mountain News’ Tracy Ringolsby, among
others. Lucchino’s camp indicated that the deal had been made by then-Red Sox
Assistant GM Josh Byrnes, “but Theo preferred to make a different trade with Arizona
and asked Lucchino to invoke the ownership clause, squash the deal, and take the
hit.” Shaughnessy writes Epstein may have seen “that version in the Sunday Globe
and had second thoughts about a future of working with Lucchino. ... I choose
to believe that Epstein is smarter and more mature” (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/1).
CONFLICTED INTEREST? Much of today’s debate around Epstein’s departure
centers around the New York Times’ ownership of the Boston Globe and its 17% stake
in New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Red Sox, Fenway Park and 80% of
NESN. In Boston, Scott Van Voorhis writes media experts believe that the Globe’s
reporting “raises serious questions about the role these ownership ties may have
played in the paper’s reporting” on the Epstein-Lucchino issue. Media Access Project
CEO Andrew Schwartzman: “It is an inherent conflict of interest. There is a tension
between the demands to generate business synergy and the increasing pressure that
media companies have to maintain public trust.” Timothy Karr of the media watchdog
group Free Press added, “This is the problem with conglomerated media. When the
ownership of media companies have separate interests ... there is a tendency to
compromise the reporting” (BOSTON HERALD, 11/1).
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Observer Feels Lucchino Was Not
Ready To Turn Over Keys To Red Sox |
SPLIT DECISION: In Providence, Sean McAdam cites a Red Sox insider as describing
“what was left of the relationship between Lucchino and Epstein as ‘a mess.’”
Lucchino “chafed at Epstein’s use” of the five-year, $12.5M offer the Red Sox
made to A’s GM Billy Beane in ‘02 “as a benchmark [for his own contract], claiming
it had little relevance to the negotiations.” Epstein “was miffed that after accomplishing
all of ownership’s goals ... that the Red Sox were ‘slotting’ his salary” (PROVIDENCE
JOURNAL, 11/1). In Boston, Chris Snow writes “issues of respect and control”
between Epstein and Lucchino “could not be overcome” (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/1).
The GLOBE’s Bob Ryan: “Theo lost a power struggle with Lucchino. ... This is what
happens when your owner is a man like John Henry, who is nonconfrontational and
isn’t all that big in dealing with people. ... In order to make sure he doesn’t
have to deal with people, he hires Larry Lucchino” (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/1).
SI.com’s Chris Mannix writes the negotiations “were about Epstein wanting to sit
at the head of the table and Lucchino being unwilling to give up the seat. ...
He’s not about to turn over the keys to his 31-year-old protégé” (SI.com, 11/1).
McAdam wrote on ESPN.com that it was “difficult for Lucchino to view Epstein as
anything other than his protégé. But when Epstein dug in his heels and Henry entered
the picture last week, the team’s hard-line negotiating stance softened some.”
However, Lucchino and Epstein “had a number of philosophical differences” (ESPN.com,
10/31). ESPN’s Gammons wrote “there isn’t a team in the business where the
GM doesn’t have to answer to ownership” (ESPN.com, 10/31).
TRAGIC HERO: In Boston, Gerry Callahan: “No one is ever going to think
of Theo as the bad guy. He looks, if nothing else, like a man of principle, a
guy who didn’t like the way his bosses were going behind his back and spoon-feeding
stories to their favorite newspaper. ... Theo believes Lucchino and Charles Steinberg
violated the agreement [to keep his contract negotiation private]. They did their
best to make him look like he was just trying to cash in, and he did the opposite”
(BOSTON HERALD, 11/1).
MORE FALLOUT: The BOSTON GLOBE’s Snow reports Red Sox Special Assistant
to the GM Bill Lajoie “resigned within minutes of Epstein doing so” and it is
“possible that other baseball operations employees will also exit, especially
given that” Byrnes left to become D’Backs GM and will start to assemble a staff.
Red Sox Senior Baseball Operations Adviser Bill James intends to stay (BOSTON
GLOBE, 11/1). ESPN’s Gammons: “There’s a very good possibility with Theo leaving
that most of the front office will depart and go to Arizona as well” (“SportsCenter,”
ESPN, 10/31).
PLAYER RELATIONS: Red Sox P Curt Schilling said Epstein “wanted more control
of a team that had his name on it, and they wouldn’t give it to him. I couldn’t
believe they wouldn’t give the [GM] what he needs to put this team together. This
is going to have a dramatic effect on our team” (BOSTON HERALD, 11/1).
Free agent 1B Kevin Millar: “It’s a huge loss for the Red Sox.” Free agent CF
Johnny Damon: “Who’s going to be calling the shots? Can we put a GM in place right
away? Maybe it’s going to be Lucchino who tries to iron out the free agency and
tries to figure out what team we’re going to go with” (MLB.com, 10/31).
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