GM by committee is Sox plan for now
In an ideal world, Theo Epstein would be aboard a plane today, bound for the general managers meetings in Palm Springs, Calif. Instead, a four-person committee of baseball operations executives will represent the Red Sox at this week's meetings, which begin tomorrow and represent the unofficial beginning of baseball's hot stove season.
The Sox GM search evidently will gather momentum here in Boston, not in Palm Springs, since president/CEO Larry Lucchino is not scheduled to be in California. Lucchino said he is likely to conduct some interviews on the road and some in Boston. The Sox, as of Friday night, had received permission to speak to one candidate, according to owner John W. Henry.
Lucchino said last night that he'd contact that candidate and, if the candidate is comfortable with being named, release his identity tomorrow. Lucchino said he'd also provide names of any additional candidates tomorrow, provided that those candidates, too, are comfortable with it. The one candidate who has been granted permission by his club to interview, as of Friday evening, is not Tony LaCava, Toronto's director of player development, who is considered one of the league's top GMs-in-waiting. Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi said by phone yesterday that the Red Sox had not contacted the Blue Jays seeking permission to speak with LaCava.
Without Epstein, the Sox will be represented in Palm Springs by Jed Hoyer (assistant to the GM), Peter Woodfork (director of baseball operations, assistant director of player development), Ben Cherington (director of player development), and Craig Shipley (special assistant to the GM).
The four spoke during a media conference call yesterday and Hoyer, outlining the team's ambitions this week, said the Sox intend to resume conversations with representatives for free agents Johnny Damon and Bill Mueller, conversations Epstein began before departing.
''In mentioning those two by name, I didn't want to rule out our other free agents," Hoyer said, alluding to Tony Graffanino, Mike Myers, John Olerud, Kevin Millar, and Matt Mantei. I don't think I want to articulate our [negotiating] plan. We have one. We do want to talk to those guys [Damon and Mueller]."
The group was asked whether any of them had asked to be candidates in the GM search, or had been asked by Sox ownership and upper management about the possibility of interviewing for the job.
''I don't think anybody here has made themselves a candidate," said Shipley, who at 40 is the eldest of the group. ''We obviously know the direction the organization is going in. We know Theo's feelings regarding what we've done and what we will do. The biggest thing is we know each other. We're confident in each others' abilities. We're respectful of each others' positions."
Hoyer said ''we really are going to work as one group" without a designated GM at the meetings. But the 31-year-old Hoyer stands to be the closest thing to a GM the club has. Hoyer is viewed as having the best overall working knowledge of the baseball operations department and, along with departed assistant GM Josh Byrnes, ranked as one of Epstein's closest confidants.
''Every evening we'll call or e-mail ownership and Larry to go over daily events," Hoyer said.
Epstein, in his Wednesday press conference, indicated that he wanted to put off any talks with any teams interested in speaking with him until the Sox staff shipped off to the GM meetings. It's possible, then, that the Dodgers, the only other team in baseball with a GM opening, will contact Epstein this week.
''He's been very helpful," said Hoyer, who said Epstein was in the office each day last week, offering assistance. ''I think we'll continue to talk to him on the phone whenever a question comes up. He's available for us."
But what if Epstein interviews with another club? And what if the information Sox executives are dealing with becomes more sensitive? Is there a time when it won't any longer be prudent to seek Epstein's counsel?
''The fact that he was general manager here, he was very involved in the preparation for this offseason," Cherington said. ''He's a great resource. I don't think there's an end date to how long any of us would talk to Theo and get advice. If and when he does start talking to another team, that dynamic could change."
