According to Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, Theo Epstein is almost certain to leave the Red Sox general manager gig to run the Cubs, provided that two obstacles are overcome:
One of them is that Red Sox ownership was still hoping to have Epstein remain with the team. The other is compensation: If Epstein is to leave Boston, said one source with knowledge of the negotiations, the Red Sox are going to want “something real.”
Whether that involves a player, money or a combination of the two remains unclear.
Buckley says that the job in Chicago appears to “include powers greater than he has in Boston.”