Theo Epstein: 5 Moves He Needs to Make For the Chicago Cubs in His First Year

Common thought around the MLB was that Theo Epstein had a great chance to go to the Chicago Cubs and take over their vacant General Manager position.

Now that the deal is done and Epstein is a member of the Cubs front office, there is a lot of work to be done if he wants to restore the Cubs to being a winning franchise.

And most importantly, breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat and bring a World Series title back to Chicago.

Here are five moves that Theo Epstein must make in his first season as Chicago Cubs General Manager.

Sign Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder

This is an easy one, and I won't be the only writer to say it. The Cubs need a cornerstone player like Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to come to Wrigley and put a dangerous force at the heart of the Cubs' order. It would instantly add credibility to their lineup and to Epstein's first year on the team.

Such a move would give the Cubs someone to build around and would certainly create a buzz for Cubs fans in what will most likely be a playoff-less first season under Theo Epstein.

It should take around $25 million to sign either player, but it will be well worth it for the Cubs and the first step towards turning this team into a winning product.

Epstein certainly has the experience and power to make a move like this happen.

Bring in a New Manager

Mike Quade is a nice manager, but he is not the type of guy who will make the splash that Theo Epstein wants. With only a single year left on his contract and a club option for 2012, Quade could be gone before the season starts.

This will be the second most important thing Theo Epstein does as the Cubs GM. He must bring in a manager that will not only get along with his players, but also make players want to come to a cursed franchise like the Cubs and try to win a World Series.

So who will Epstein bring in?

Tough to say as of yet, but there are certainly some good candidates out there, namely Terry Francona. Now, I couldn't tell you how their relationship went in Boston, but I would assume from hearing nothing negative about his time with the Red Sox that Francona and Epstein got along just fine.

Not to mention, they did bring two World Series rings to the Red Sox, a team that had gone 86 years without one until their arrival.

It would be the perfect combination of curse-breaking manager and GM that could get the Cubs over the top.

If not Francona, look for Epstein to go after a Ryne Sandberg.

Sandberg left the organization after being snubbed for the Cubs job, but with new management in town and a little persuasion, Epstein could bring back the former Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year to take the reigns on the field.

Re-Sign Aramis Ramirez

Despite being on a horrendous team last year, Aramis Ramirez had himself quite a good season.

The Cubs' third baseman hit .306, with 26 home runs and 93 RBI.

Ramirez will be a free agent after this season is over and could be another important move for Theo Epstein to focus on. Judging from the season he had last year, if you could put him in a lineup with a Pujols or Fielder, Aramis Ramirez would be the perfect fit to compliment a big slugger in the Cubs' lineup.

Ramirez will be 34 next season, but has some good years left in him and could be coerced into re-signing if he sees the Cubs making moves to get better.

The Cubs could sign him to a shorter deal, as it is doubtful there are many teams out there willing to give a 33-year-old a long-term deal.

Sign a Top Pitcher

When looking at the free agent market this upcoming offseason, two pitchers' names jump off the page at you.

C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle.

Wilson will be very difficult to get away from Texas. Nolan Ryan loves good pitching and will spare no expense to keep his ace with the Rangers. Even if the Cubs or the Yankees came in with a more lucrative offer, Wilson would still likely choose the Rangers, even if it's for less money.

So that leaves Buehrle. It would certainly be convenient for the former White Sox ace, having played in Chicago his entire career. Buehrle has been a good pitcher for almost a decade, having won 15 games or more five times.

He also has postseason experience, having been a part of a White Sox World Series. He would instantly become the Cubs' best pitcher and would add a consistent arm to Chicago's starting rotation.

He may not be an ace that the Cubs will need, but he would certainly be a start in the right direction for Theo Epstein.

Get Rid of Problem Players

As is the case for just about every team in the MLB, the Chicago Cubs have players who are just plain headaches.

Alfonso Soriano, while talented as all hell, has fallen off in his past few seasons. Since he was moved to left field after becoming a member of the Cubs, Soriano has never been happy with his new position and his numbers have gone down.

Meanwhile, Carlos Zambrano has fought with fellow players and no doubt been a problem for his coaches.

If your Theo Epstein, you don't want either one of these guys to destroy the chemistry on your new team and hurt whatever progress you hope to achieve in your first season. He has got to be hell bent on getting rid of both these players, but it won't be easy.

Zambrano is still signed until 2012, while Soriano is signed until 2014 and both are making money well above their true value. Unfortunately, those bad contracts will make them extremely difficult to trade away and may require the Cubs to eat their contracts if they can move them at all.

The only thing Epstein can hope for is if either player performs above their current levels and can find a buyer or two at the trade deadline. Both are the type of players a team would go after if they are on the cusp of winning with Zambrano most likely the less desirable of the two.

No matter how he does it, if Epstein can get ride of these two players in 2012, he will not only get rid of two problems, he will also free up a ton of money the Cubs can use to look elsewhere for help.