Detroit Tigers: 5 dream candidates to be the team’s next GM

Theo Epstein, consultant—Major League Baseball

It wouldn’t be a list of dream candidates for any team’s GM if it didn’t include Theo Epstein. After all, his resume speaks for itself. He ended two World Series droughts with the Red Sox and Cubs, and set both teams up for sustained success.

He now works as a consultant for Major League Baseball. Rumor has it the league is grooming him to become the next commissioner.

Epstein, 48, is the first name that comes to many Tigers fans’ minds when they think about who they want to be the team’s next GM, and it’s hard to blame them. Again, the resume speaks for itself. It’s clear he has an eye for talent.

However, the likelihood of him coming to Detroit is 0%—unless we want to start using negative numbers.. There are many factors working against this happening.

First of all, Epstein would want an ownership group that is committed to winning, and well, Chris Ilitch hasn’t exactly shown that desire. The Tigers would have to pay gobs of money to get him to become the team’s GM, and the odds of Ilitch doing that seem pretty slim to none.

Epstein is obviously pretty smart as well, and has always wanted to set up his teams for long term success. To do that for the Detroit Tigers, that may very well mean a rebuild of the rebuild. Would Tigers fans be willing to stomach another 3-5 years of losing?

Lastly, the job just simply isn’t that attractive to someone like Epstein, who has a proven track record. They have a good manager in place, and a few good, young, controllable players, but that’s about it. Ownership doesn’t care, and the front office needs an overhaul. That’s a lot of work for a guy who could just work his way up to the commissioner’s office instead.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer. Sorry, Tigers fans, but Theo Epstein is not coming to Detroit.