CHICAGO – Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts had dinner with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein in Arizona around the start of spring training.
If Epstein had any doubt about a contract extension, it ended right there. And on Wednesday, it became official.
Chicago announced a five-year extension, rewarding Epstein for an overhaul that has the long-suffering franchise eyeing its first championship since 1908.
“He started it off by saying some really nice things about me that might have hurt his leverage a little bit, and then I returned the favor by telling him that even if we couldn’t work out a contract it would get awkward because I would just keep showing up to work,” Epstein said. “As an employee, I will. I kept ruining my leverage.”
The deal comes with the Cubs wrapping up one of the greatest seasons in franchise history and their fans believing this just might be the team to end the 108-year World Series title drought.
Chicago reached 100 wins for the first time since 1935 and was a major league-leading 101-56 heading into Wednesday’s game at Pittsburgh. The Cubs clinched the best record in the majors with more than a week left in the regular season.
“In the five years under Theo’s leadership, he has brought in a strong executive team and acquired and developed some of the best players in the game,” Ricketts said. “Now, the results are on the field.”
Terms were not disclosed.
It looks like Epstein isn’t the only Cubs executive with a new deal. He said contract extensions for general manager Jed Hoyer and senior vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod will probably be announced in the next day or two.
Epstein, who was in the final season of a five-year deal when he left Boston in October 2011, had repeatedly said a new contract was a formality, that there were more immediate priorities. Ricketts had echoed that and indicated in the spring that he was prepared to make him one of the highest-paid executives in baseball.
“There was never any real drama throughout the summer,” said Ricketts, adding the agreement was finalized a few days ago.
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