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Cashman, Epstein say they don't feel personal rivalry
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By Peter Gammons
Special to ESPN.com
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Aug. 4
In the end, whether the Red Sox edge out either the Yankees, Mariners or Athletics and make the playoffs will come down to Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe. The pair was two of the American League's three best pitchers in 2002. This season, they have won one game when their teammates score three runs or less between them.
In the future, there is a mountain range of uncertainties for the Red Sox, starting with the fact that after next season Martinez, Lowe, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek are all free agents and the organization is in its first year of redevelopment.
|  | | Boston GM Theo Epstein did his best to keep up with the Yankees. |
Yet, as the trading deadline passed this year, the issue of Theo Epstein's young age clearly passed.
"He has done a great job," said Brian Cashman before Epstein traded for Scott Williamson and Jeff Suppan. "He's certainly made my job a lot more difficult, but that's the way it should be."
In Epstein's first two months as general manager, the Yankees outspent him for Jose Contreras and Cashman (seizing on the fact that Monteal GM Omar Minaya did not want to trade with what he perceives as the new guard) gerrymandered a Bartolo Colon deal with ever-ready White Sox GM Ken Williams to keep Colon and Javier Vazquez away from Boston.
By July, the Red Sox had the upper hand, getting two pitchers the Yankees admittedly coveted in Scott Sauerbeck and Williamson.
Now, the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry, when it comes to acquiring players, means a lot more to New Englanders than New Yorkers. It means a great deal to George Steinbrenner and Larry Lucchino.
But it only means something to Epstein and Cashman in terms of their own teams.
"It's ridiculous when people try to make it seem as if we have a personal rivalry," says Epstein. "It's just the opposite. We are good friends, as much as we can be in our business. We shook hands and joked with one another after each one of our three games at Fenway last weekend. He is one of the general managers I admire and respect most; hey, he's one of the most respected, period. He doesn't obsess about what the Red Sox do and I don't obsess about what the Yankees do because it can be costly and counterpdroductive."
Even if those around them clearly obsess about public perception and how the rivalry affects them.
Now, if you privately asked Cashman about the previous Red Sox regime, you would get a far, far different answer. But that was another time, another era.
"What Theo has shown is that he can run that franchise for the short and long term and do it really well," says Oakland GM Billy Beane. "I said it when I decided to stay in Oakland -- they may well be better off with Theo than with me, and he's already among the elite general managers in the business. That they have one of the best offenses of all time isn't by accident."
Indeed, in shuffling payroll, Epstein originally added David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, Kevin Millar, Todd Walker and Damian Jackson for less than what the Angels had to pay Kevin Appier this season. Good moves.
By the middle of May, it was clear that the organizational concept of having six relievers, any of whom could close any night, wasn't working. "The concept isn't wrong," Epstein said in May. "The pitchers we have here are wrong."
So, in time, he traded Shea Hillenbrand, Freddy Sanchez and Phil Dumatrait for Byung-Hyun Kim, Scott Sauerbeck, Scott Williamson and Jeff Suppan. Kim is one of the 6-or-8 best closers in the game, and the only one that can continually throw two or three innings. Sauerbeck is the rare left-on-left reliever. And in Fenway -- the ultimate lefthanded hitters' ballpark -- Epstein has Sauerbeck (.203 against left-hand hitters) and Williamson (.200) to dominate lefties. Suppan and Mike Mussina are the only right-handed pitchers to throw 200 innings each of the four years leading up to 2003.
Bobby Valentine expressed admiration "for anyone who can admit he's wrong and never lose sight of trying to improve his team."
"I'm going to be wrong, and I'll be wrong many times," says Epstein. "But I'm not so stupid as to be stubborn and not admit my mistakes. Then the team can get buried."
That has revealed an interesting leadership characteristic.
"Theo likes having a lot of people with imput and the constant buzz of ideas," says one of his assistants. "You have the sage, experienced and fearless voice of Bill Lajoie, and Josh Byrnes. Then there are a bunch of us who brainstorm with him every day. What is most interesting is that he wants voices that disagree. He wants every side to every issue, and encourages contrary opinions."
So, as the deadline approached, Epstein had a myriad of deals working. He tried to do a 4-way that would have spun J.D. Drew to Oakland and gotten Kelvim Escobar for the Red Sox. He could have done a 3-way that would have acquired Aaron Boone for Casey Fossum and a prospect, then spun Boone to Seattle for Freddy Garcia, a deal he was talked out of making. He tried to do a 3-way with Boone and Odalis Perez of the Dodgers. He offered a package of Fossum, Sanchez and the pick of any top prospect for Vazquez, not realizing that Minaya is not trading with him.
On the morning of the deadline, he decided to do the Suppan deal, which eneded up being Sanchez for Suppan and Sauerbeck when all the other bodies were returned. So, while their respective team doctors and owners were making charges and counter-charges over Brandon Lyon's elbow (Lyon had been dealt to the Pirates for Sauerbeck, but the Pirates felt he was hurt), Epstein and Dave Littlefield never stopped having civil, respectful conversations. They ended up resolving their problem and making a deal that helps Boston in 2003 and gives the Prirates an everyday second baseman for years to come.
"That tells you a lot about both of those men," says commissioner Bud Selig. "I am really happy to see that. It's encouraging."
Anyone who knows Epstein's family knows that he was raised with the same values as Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro's family values, and the questions raised about Lyon's health not only surprised him, but upset him. "There's one thing I never want to have as a reputation," says Epstein, "and that's a lack of integrity."
While trying to compete with what Lucchino calls "The Evil Empire," Epstein has also undertaken the monumental task of trying to rebuild the organization. The draft was a consuming, organizational-wide effort. Ben Cherington and Craig Shipley have completely overhauled the minor leagues, and all of a sudden several supposed "non-prospects" have become marginal prospects.
Throughout, Epstein has maintained the same business philosophies that made Beane so successful -- except that Theo has shown a willingness to invest in high school players. The Sox gave their fourth-round draft pick -- Georgia high school outfielder Mickey Hall -- $800,000. They gave their 48th pick, Bourne, Mass. right-handed pitcher Jason Smith, $100,000. Will they give $2 million to a high school pitcher? No. But they believe that, if healthy, the 18-year old Smith has 2-3-4 round stuff that could be developed, albeit slowly.
Somewhere, maybe in halls of the old guard, there is remaining resentment that a 29-year-old Yale graduate could be running the Boston Red Sox. But there is an old guard that seems to resent a lot these days. Wasn't Beane supposed to have trouble making a trade because of "Moneyball" (which some dopes still think he wrote)? Beane got Jose Guillen and was right on the cusp of several other deals. Weren't Cashman and ex-Reds GM Jim Bowden supposed to be too young when they took over, and didn't each turn out to be extremely creative and successful (Tampa Bay: take note)?
When it got to the July 31 deadline, it was the usual players who were in the middle of everything: Brian Sabean, Williams, Cashman, Beane, Epstein.
"I'm sorry," says Williams, "I'm not afraid to trade a 'prospect.' I want to win now for our fans."
"There has never been a deadline when the Giants have been in it when Sabean doesn't make what might be the best trade, period," says Beane. "I think he did it again this time (with Sidney Ponson). That's not a good trade, that's a great trade, because he has the guts."
Cashman has obtained Aaron Boone, Gabe White, Armando Benitez and rid Joe Torre of Raul Mondesi, while adding a guy Rangers manager (and ex-Yankee skipper) Buck Showalter says was "born to play in New York" in Dave DeLucci.
The Yankees might not be in the World Series, nor may the Red Sox, A's, White Sox, Giants, Royals, Cubs or Marlins. But it won't be for lack of effort. It will be because their best players either didn't play their best, or weren't good enough.
On the flip side
Before anyone begins bashing inactive general managers in comparison to those who moved, consider these facts:
St. Louis GM Walt Jocketty has two serious constraints: payroll and an exhausted farm system. So when it came down to the deadline, even the Rangers scoffed at prospects for John Thomson (who still may be a good August pickup) and the only way Jocketty could acquire a quality starter was to trade J.D. Drew. "I really believe J.D. is going to have a big second half for us," says Jocketty, citing the fact that Drew was coming off January surgery.
Houston GM Gerry Hunsicker could not take on a big salary for next year -- Steve Trachsel or Livan Hernandez, for instance -- because of the large raises to Jeff Bagwell, Craif Biggio, Jeff Kent and Lance Berkman. And because the Houston farm system is thinner at the top than usual, it was difficult for him to move either catcher John Buck (remember, Brad Ausmus is a free agent) or outfielder Jason Lane for Ponson.
Seattle GM Pat Gillick did have the three-way deal with Boston and Cincinnati to try to unite the Brothers Boone, but is caught in that no-man's land where he has to define the Mariners' window of opportunity. In this case, to trade Rafael Soriano or Clint Nageotte would have been a high price if one believes that the window does not close with Edgar Martinez and John Olerud, but with Ichiro and the young starters' staff.
The Braves worked hard after Escobar, but wouldn't trade Adam Wainwright.
The Padres wouldn't trade Rondell White unless they got a catcher like Florida's Ramon Castro, and the Phish decided against the deal because rookie Miguel Cabrera has been so good. "We couldn't rationalize taking him out of the lineup," says Florida GM Larry Beinfest. "What's amazing is how well he's played in left field" -- considering they converted him right before he was recalled. The Pads are building for next year's unveiling of their new park, and it's still possible that in the next few weeks the Brian Giles/Jason Kendall deal could be completed.
August will have several names on the waiver wires, and once again the Yankees and Red Sox are the teams that can afford to put in claims and take full contracts. Among the names that could move are Juan Gonzalez (Kansas City), Rafael Palmeiro (Cubs, if he can split time with lifeline Eric Karros), Rondell White, Buddy Groom, Jason Johnson, Cory Lidle, Rick Reed, Thomson, Livan Hernandez, David Weathers, Mike Dejean, Jose Jiminez, Matt Stairs and John Vanderwal.
Cy Young candidates
All of a sudden, Barry Zito is Oakland's fourth starter. Consider these numbers from their most recent starts:
Mark Mulder touched every number on the radar gun from 69 to 95 mph.
Tim Hudson touched every number from 78 to 95.
Rich Harden touched every number from 82 to 99.
So how, as a hitter, do you time and square anything? Ask the pitchers and they give a great deal of credit to the game's most underrated catcher, Ramon Hernandez. When the all-star ballots were distributed, the A's pitchers asked the players to all vote for Hernandez because of the way he handles them.
How good? In his last two starts, Ted Lilly has been banned from shaking off Hernandez. Result? Two good starts.
Oakland's plethora of pitching
Here it is the birthday of Roger Clemens (and my late dog Lady Jane) and here is the AL Cy Young rundown (with quality start percentage and wins with three runs or fewer of support noted):
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Name
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W-L
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ERA
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IP/Start
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QS%
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3Runs/Less
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Loaiza
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13-5
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2.25
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6.8
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86%
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6
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Martinez
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7-2
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2.42
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6.5
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74%
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0
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Hudson
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9-4
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2.60
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7.1
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79%
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3
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Mulder
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14-7
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3.03
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7.3
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68%
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3
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Halladay
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15-3
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3.42
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7.3
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64%
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0
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Not close. Esteban Loaiza still leads, with Tim Hudson Mark Mulder close behind. But watch Martinez the rest of the way.
Around the majors
After being traded for one another, Kevin Appier and Mo Vaughn will be paid a combined total of $43.7 million by the Angels and Mets not to play for them, $300,000 more than the entire 2003 payroll of the Oakland Athletics.
Yes, the A's actually saved money on the Guillen deal. And what does it say about Raul Mondesi that the Blue Jays and Yankees are paying a combined $12 million not to have him around?
Why did Omar Minaya tell a couple of other GMs that he wasn't allowed to trade Javier Vazquez? Did they misunderstand? So now Vladimir Guerrero hits the free-agent market and the Expos -- or whatever they'll be called in San Juan -- will have to deal Vazquez ($9-10 million in arbitration) and Hernandez this winter and get another bag of Rocky Biddle.
It will be fascinating to see if Reds ownership has a clue when looking for a GM. The first obvious candidate is Oakland's Paul DePodesta, but they may not know the world has changed. If they want a proven scouting/development man, either Mark Newman or Houston's Tim Purpura should be at the top of the list.
Will Adrian Beltre even get a big league, $500,000 contract next spring?
What Williams loves about Schoenweiss is that while he gives them a 3-to-6 out lefty in the pen in this race to go with left-on-left specialist Kelly Wunsch and Marte -- and, Schoenweiss can get back into the rotation next season.
The Cubs believe two goods can come out of the Mark Prior rest, if he is healthy: 1) It keeps him away from the 200-inning plateau too soon in his career and insures he'll be strong for the stretch run, and 2) It allowed Juan Cruz to get into the rotation "where," says Jim Hendry, "we believe he belongs."
The Blue Jays believe they can sign Escobar after the season, so if they couldn't get a top package for him, they wanted assurances that the team that traded for him wouldn't offer arbitration, so re-signing him wouldn't have cost draft picks.
Has anyone noticed that all of a sudden with Jason Arnold, Dustin Magowan and David Bush in Syracuse and New Haven that the Jays are close to having a young pitching bonanza?
Felix Jose back to the majors in Florida? Following Jose Lima? Hey, Jose Mercedes is 10-5 for the Saltillo Sarapes.
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