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| Theo Epstein/AP Images |
By Thomas Rende
The Red Sox were the prominently displayed winless team in the early 2000's. They had trouble building a team that could represent what Boston was while being able to field a winning team. After some heartbreaking losses in the playoffs, more notably the 2003 Aaron Boone walk-off, the Red Sox raised their arms in victory after their heroic comeback versus the Yankees. The 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies are well documented with films but not since Tom Verducci's article in Sports Illustrated this summer have we appreciated management’s work.
Theo Epstein was the mastermind behind those Red Sox teams. He concocted the perfect blend of scouting, with spending, and with trades. The party ended at the end of a 2011 season that seemed destined for more glory but could be summarized in a much more harsh word: Collapse.
The Red Sox have talent but things seemed to be drifting toward a mutually benefiting separation. That is why during the off-season the Cubs were able to acquire Theo after he resigned as the GM of the Red Sox. He is now the president of the Cubs and his iron fist of statistics should bring an eventual championship to Chciago. The math backs me up on this hypothesis. Two Championships + 103 years of lovable losers= good things ahead.
The math may be disputed but hear me out for a second.
The Cubs signed David DeJesus at a good price, 3 years at a $5 million clip. Last year he played below expectations while in Oakland but that was with zero help in the batting order and it was the lowest Wins Above Replacement number that he has ever recorded.
Bryan Lahair will man first base. Lahair isn’t a household name because…well, he hasn’t played much in the majors. In the past 2 years in Triple A, Lahair averaged an .OPS well above .900 and had a combined 63 home runs. He may be a late bloomer at age 29 but he may have finally gotten his chance to produce in the majors a la Jose Bautista.
Paul Maholm and Travis Wood can be plugs in the middle of a mediocre pitching rotation. Their addition brings a presence of sustainability along with potential to create an above average rotation. They may not have the most potential or have dominance written on the their baseball cards but these are the players that Epstein tries to acquire when trying to balance a budget. By making small acquisitions he can build up a ball club with his vision while restocking the farm system in order to have depth and greater potential for future excellence.
Epstein’s finest move was a trade to get rid of the temperamental Carlos Zambrano’s contract to the Miami Marlins in exchange for a back of the rotation starter Chirs Volstad.
If these pieces can come together, it would be conceivable to see them being a .500 ball club with a glimmer of hope to capture one of the two wildcards.
