Theo Epstein: Red Sox Reportedly Close to Losing Genius GM to Chicago Cubs

The Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a major upheaval. On the heels of losing their star manager Terry Francona, recent reports state that the Sox are dangerously close to losing general manager Theo Epstein to the Chicago Cubs. 

The Boston Herald cites two sources in their report that alleges general manager is close to completing a move to be the GM of the Chicago Cubs. 

The report states that a decision will be made in the next day or two and that Epstein is poised to have more control in Chicago than he did in Boston. 

There are a couple hiccups surrounding the deal. First, the Red Sox still want Epstein to stay on as their general manager. There is no question that Epstein once again built a team that could win in 2011. 

The late season collapse put a stain on a roster that was one of the best in recent memory. Epstein definitely filled the Boston lineup with power and pitching. 

The second hurdle is that the Red Sox would want "something real" in return. The thought is they would want a player, money or both as compensation for the pilfering of the young genius GM. 

If Epstein does make the move to Chicago, he has the opportunity to become the greatest general manager of all time. 

He managed to thwart one of the most well-known curses in all of baseball, as the Red Sox captured two World Series under his watch. 

The Chicago Cubs have been mired in decades of futility. If Epstein manages to wrestle them from an era of fruitless endeavors, he would have turned around two seemingly helpless franchises. 

Epstein has never backed from a challenge and the Cubs are certainly that. The chance to be regarded as the best to ever assemble a sports team may be just too much for him to resist.