The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox both announced on Friday that Theo Epstein will resign as a member of the Boston staff and finally join Chicago as their new President of Baseball Operations, with a press conference set for Tuesday out of respect for the World Series.

The Cubs will reportedly go after San Diego Padres GM Jed Hoyer for their general manager position. Hoyer worked with Epstein in Boston as the assistant GM before leaving for the Padres.

Boston will hold a press conference Tuesday as well, and will announce Epstein’s replacement, Ben Cherington, who recently served as the team’s assistant GM.

Typically announcements such as this are not made until after the World Series so baseball fans can focus on baseball’s grandest stage, but since the Epstein-to-Chicago story has occupied the front pages of both Boston and Chicago, baseball needs to end this story now so the World Series can be the hottest baseball story in the sport.

Not only is that a good decision for baseball, but the Cubs need Epstein to get to work as soon as possible because there is much work to be done in order to make the organization a winner.

Epstein’s greatest talent is developing homegrown stars, and this is what the Cubs need badly. Chicago has very few homegrown players with superstar potential.

Developing young stars like he did in Boston with Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon and Jacoby Ellsbury will be crucial to the Cubs’ ability to make the playoffs consistently.

After failing to win the World Series since 1918, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 after Epstein helped build a very good team in Boston. 

The Cubs are hoping Epstein is talented enough to win the World Series for two “cursed” teams.

Chicago has not won the World Series since 1908, and Epstein has a much tougher task building a perennial winner with the Cubs than he had in Boston.

Epstein will make the Cubs a winning franchise, but it will take time—more time than it took in Boston to make the Red Sox an annual World Series contender.

 

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

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