Boston Red Sox: GM Theo Epstein Will Likely Be Allowed to Talk to Cubs

It's been three days since the Boston Red Sox season came crashing down, and already there has been several interesting stories coming out of the organization.

This afternoon, New York Post writer Joel Sherman tweeted the following:

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I am shocked, but in last 36 hrs every exec talk to says believe #Redsox will give permssion and Theo will go to #Cubs to be GM

"

Neither the Red Sox, Cubs, nor Epstein has confirmed the report as it is speculation, but with that said, this scenario isn't unlikely.

When Red Sox President Larry Lucchino was asked about Epstein's future with the Red Sox on Friday, he and other team executives did not say the GM would be back.

Lucchino said the following via Boston.com:

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We're not prepared to answer that question here. This is a press conference about the contributions that Tito [Francona] has made to this franchise. Besides, Theo is under contract with us, so it is an issue that has not been addressed or discussed.

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Team chairman Tom Werner also did not express any enthusiasm on Epstein returning next season, and gave a typical response regarding Epstein and the Cubs.

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I think we feel collectively that he has been one of the best general managers in baseball and has been integral to the success of our club the last 10 years.

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It's been speculated that Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has coveted Epstein for the team's general manager position, and with Epstein's great player development skills, and recent success with a big market team, he'd be an ideal candidate to turn around the Cubs' 100-plus years of misfortune.

Many have thought Epstein would stay in Boston, but the Red Sox collapse and the departure of Terry Francona as Red Sox manager could make Epstein consider leaving the team.

Epstein and Francona had a good relationship and worked well together. Francona's exit, which may have been what ownership wanted, might have bothered Epstein.

The Cubs have a huge payroll and ownership willing to spend money, which is the situation Epstein has thrived in during his tenure in Boston.

However, Esptein's specialty, developing young talent from within the organization, is a weakness of the Cubs. His ability to find and develop homegrown stars will help transform the Cubs into yearly playoff contenders.

While Esptein's departure from the Red Sox is speculation (he's under contract with the club), it's a scenario that would surprise few people in baseball.

Epstein and the Cubs are a good match.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates.  Follow @NicholasGoss35