Theo Epstein Expected to Be Major Player at Winter Meetings

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Dec 2, 2009

Theo Epstein Expected to Be Major Player at Winter Meetings For all the Red Sox fans hoping that GM Theo Epstein will make next week's winter meetings exciting, you may be in luck.

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman wrote a preview of the GM meetings in Indianapolis, and he thinks Epstein has the most potential to shake things up.

Since the Yankees won the World Series this year, many have claimed that Epstein's "competitive juices" have reached their boiling point and that he'll do anything he can to avoid being outdone by the pinstripes in 2010. While that assessment sounds far more like George Steinbrenner than Epstein himself, Heyman seems to think that competition will be the biggest source of motivation for Epstein this offseason.

"Expect Boston to be connected to every major player out there, from [Roy] Halladay to [John] Lackey to [Adrian] Gonzalez to [Matt] Holliday to Aroldis Chapman," Heyman wrote.

Heyman addressed many of the rumors circulating about Boston's offseason thus far, including a breakdown in contract negotiations between the Red Sox and left fielder Jason Bay.

Unfortunately, this one appears to be true.

"The chances to keep Bay appear to be diminishing," Heyman wrote, "as outside suitors line up following his rejection of Boston's $60 million, four-year bid."

And as for the Hanley Ramirez rumors — there's no truth to those, at least for now.

"There's no evidence Florida will consider trading him," Heyman wrote.

So it may not involve Ramirez and it may not involve Bay, but expect big news out of Indy next week.

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