The baseball executive who helped break both The Curse of the Bambino in Boston and The Curse of the Billy Goat in Chicago may be recruited to come to Queens to break the curse that is the New York Mets.
According to The New York Post, the Mets and owner Steve Cohen plan to talk to Theo Epstein about filling the team’s vacant president of baseball operations. Jon Heyman of MLB Network also reports the Mets will “soon” reach out to Epstein about the vacant role.
The 47-year-old, who was at the helm of the front office for the Red Sox when the team won multiple World Series titles and also assembled a championship roster for the Cubs, resigned from his role with Chicago in November and is currently working as an advisor for Major League Baseball, among other projects.
“Unclear is Epstein’s level of interest in returning to the daily grind of baseball operations,” per The Post. “But team owner Steve Cohen’s checkbook could hold sway in the matter. Epstein’s last contract with the Cubs, which he exited a year early, was worth close to $10 million annually. With the Mets desperate for a big hire, he could be in position to significantly increase that amount, potentially including an ownership stake.”
Though the prospect of Epstein coming to the Queens is being discussed, some are already saying it won’t happen.
If Martino’s report is correct and Epstein is off the table, other options the Mets may pursue include Oakland’s Billy Beane, Milwaukee’s David Stearns and Dodgers executive Josh Byrnes.
Whatever happens, the Mets have a lot of holes to fill and changes to make after firing manager Luis Rojas following a disastrous 77-85 season that began with sky-high expectations and a bloated payroll. With the season now over, only the payroll remains.
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