I have been reading every single scrap of internet data about Theo Epstein walking away from his job as Genral Manager of the Boston Bloody Stockings.
In a nutshell, Epstein wanted autonomy from Red Sox CEO Larry Luccino and could not get a no-meddling clause agreed to. So he walked.
I've also read thousands of postings by whiny self-entitled Schillingheads crabbing about the fact that Larry Luccino is the #1 force in making Manny Ramirez' life difficult. So the guy who wants Manny gone is the reason Manny wants gone and this is the guy who is now running the show. Epstein wanted to keep Manny. Epstein be gone.
Can you see what is coming next? I can. His name is Manny Ramirez. And Larry Luccino is going to dump his salary, take the ass-end of a trade and declare it victory, all in order to put his ego-driven stamp over the 2006 Boston Red Sox.
Bill Stoneman is about to be offered three seasons of a right-handed version of Vladimir Guerrero, and Stoneman is in the position of power in these negotiations, as:
1. Manny WANTS to come to Anaheim - he has publicly stated this through his agent.
2. Manny is a 5/10 player - he has played ten years in the bigs and 5 with his current club, which creates a de facto no-trade clause. Manny can veto any trade, thereby making the team that he has stated he wants to go to as the ONLY team he will agree to be traded to.
This is an historic opportunity for the Angels to steal one of the great players in the game. Arte will not even have to give up Ervin Santana or Casey Kotchman. Bill Stoneman can trade peripheral rookie prospects and past-their-prime position players for Manny.
Manny is now ours for the taking. It is time for Stoneman to play a hand of poker on the way to building a dynasty.