Boston Red Sox: Why They Should Allow Theo Esptein to Talk to Chicago Cubs

General Manager Theo Epstein has one year left on his current deal with the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs have asked to negotiate with Epstein and may be try to snag him from the Sox before the beginning of the 2012 season.

This is all well and good for Theo Epstein and the Cubs, but should the Red Sox even allow him to talk to the Cubs?

The correct answer would be no, but the smart answer should be yes.

If John Henry wants to keep Epstein for longer than this last year, then he needs to show Theo that he would allow him to mull over his other options. Theo is a great GM, but if he wants to explore other possibilities before his contract expires, then I say go for it.

How would that look on his resume as a GM if he went to the Cubs and won the World Series with them in say, 2013, and ended two of the longest franchise droughts without a World Series Championship? It would look pretty good, right?

There is nothing I would rather see more than Epstein sign a five-year extension with the Sox, but with his lack of ability to control the power of Larry Lucchino, he wants to see what the playing field is like.

Plus, John Henry has not said anything about Theo Epstein. But if Theo is able to talk to other teams or even if he could get fired before the 2012 season starts, Henry, my advice to you is that you start speaking out before something happens to your last viable asset on the management team.

Theo Epstein is a genius, and sure there have been some flops in his deals, but that is what happens in baseball. Players get overpaid after one good season or a mediocre career, and they falter due to injuries.

Henry just needs to allow Epstein to talk to other teams and get it out of his system or else Epstein will say, "See you later," just as Terry Francona did. The Red Sox do not need their two best pieces from the management team to be out, even after the 2011 meltdown.