Boston Red Sox: Evaluating the Theo Epstein Era

Now that Theo Epstein is out of town, Red Sox fans have been tirelessly debating the quality of his time in Boston. Theo supporters argue he led the team to their first two World Series titles in 86 years, while detractors say he spent way too much money on players who underperformed. To determine how successful his time in Boston was, you need to take in depth look at what he did during his tenure.

Theo Epstein did something no Red Sox general manager had done in 86 years: he brought the team a World Series. With Theo Epstein calling all the shots, the team broke the curse of the Bambino in 2004 and just for good measure, added another championship banner in 2007. The two big moves that Theo made were signing David Ortiz and trading Nomar Garciaparra.

Ortiz was a below average defensive first baseman who had not proven to be a good enough hitter to be a starter at the major league level. When he started with the team in 2003 he was the backup DH behind Jeremy Giambi. Ortiz went on to become one of the best hitters in franchise history being known for his clutch hitting, most notably getting walk off hits in back to back games against the rival Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.

The Garciaparra trade was one that, initially, was highly criticized. Garciaparra was an icon in the city of Boston and no one wanted him to leave. Epstein didn’t let the fans sentiments impact his decision to trade Garciaparra for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz. Both players were key conributers on the '04 championship team, while Nomar was never the same player after he left the Red Sox.

What Epstein will also be remembered for is his ability to improve the team through the draft. Epstein drafted players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathon Papelbon, Jon Lester and Kevin Youkilis. Many of the players Theo drafted became All-Star caliber players, with Dustin Pedroia going on to win the American League MVP in 2008. The 2007 World Series team was filled with players that Epstein had drafted.

Because of Epstein’s great drafting, the team was also able to trade some of their highly rated prospects, for established major league players. The most recent example of this was the team trading for All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

However, those who oppose Epstein will point to the numerous bad signings he made. Ever since Nomar was traded, the team has struggled to find a reliable shortstop. The team attempted to sign Edgar Renteria and Julio Lugo to lucrative deals but both players struggled mightily during their tenure with the team.

Other notable free agent blunders include the signings of JD Drew and John Lackey. Drew’s time with the team, which is thankfully over, was marred by injury and his toughness and commitment to the team was questioned on numerous occasions. Lackey signed a massive five year, $82.5 million deal with the Red Sox before the 2010 season. Lackey struggled during his first season with the team, and this year had the worst ERA in baseball.

The team also signed LF Carl Crawford to a huge contract before the 2011 season which pays $142 million over seven years. Crawford battled injuries this season, but when he was in the lineup he played poorly, batting only .255 with a horrendous .289 on base percentage.

The other argument against Theo is that he inherited a very good team. The previous general manager, Dan Duquette, brought in a multitude of talented players who were on the team when Theo took over in 2002. Many of the key players who were on the '04 and '07 championship teams, were signed by the previous general manager. Some of these players included '04 World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek and Pedro Martinez.

Theo Epstein will forever be remembered for being the general manager when the Boston Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino, however, there are still many Red Sox fans who are happy to see him go. Whether you judge Epstein’s time in Boston as lucky or impressive is up to you.