Trades to end the curse - Theo Epstein

Theo Epstein (Topps A&G 2018)

Theo Epstein is currently the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs. In his baseball executive career, he led the team to win the world series championships three times, two (2004 and 2007) with the Boston Red Sox and one with the Chicago Cubs (2016). In 2004, Red Sox won their first World Series championship in 86 years, also in 2016, the Cubs won their first World Series championship in 108 years.

Before the trade deadlines in 2004 and 2016, Theo Epstein made some important trades, those trades made impacts to end the curse.

July 31, 2004

	Red Sox	Dodgers
à	Henri Stanley (minors)	Dave Roberts
ß	Dave Roberts	Henri Stanley (minors)

Dave Roberts played 45 games for the Boston Red Sox, hitting .256 with 5 stolen bases. In the playoffs, he played 3 games, 1 in ALDS and 2 in ALCS. He had 1 “stolen base” and scored 2 runs in ALCS. That stolen base is probably the most important stolen base in baseball history. If Dave Roberts didn’t make it, the series probably would end in game 4. Dave Roberts didn’t play in the 2004 World Series. However, the stolen base has told us everything and the trade is worthwhile to make because of that “stolen base.”  

	Red Sox	Cubs	Twins	Expos
à	- Nomar Garciaparra   - Matt Murton	- Francis Beltran  - Alex Gonzalez   - Brendan Harris  - Justin Jones (minors)	- Doug Mientkiewicz	- Orlando Cabrera
ß	- Doug Mientkiewicz  - Orlando Cabrera	- Nomar Garciaparra   - Matt Murton	- Justin Jones (minors)	- Francis Beltran  - Alex Gonzalez   - Brendan Harris

Sending Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs is one of the biggest trades made by Theo Epstein. 4 teams involved in this trade, the Red Sox acquired Doug Mientkiewicz (from the Twins) and Orlando Cabrera (from the Expos).

Doug Mientkiewicz played 49 games for the Red Sox, hitting .215/.286/.318 with only 1 home run and 10 RBIs. He collected 2 hits each in the division series and league championship series in 2004. However, he had only one plate appearance in the 2004 World Series.

Orlando Cabrera (Topps Heritage 2010)

Orlando Cabrera came to Boston to replace Nomar Garciaparra. During his time in Boston, he played 58 games, hitting .294/.320/.465, meanwhile he had 6 home runs and 31 RBIs. Before the trade deadline, he collected 4 home runs while he was with the Expos in 103 games. Cabrera hit well in the ALCS, batting .379/.424/.448, he also had 5 RBIs and 1 stolen base in that dramatic 7-game series. In the 2004 World Series, Cabrera’s BA was .235, he had 4 hits and 3 RBIs.

The 30-year-old Garciaparra traded for 29-year-old Cabrera, looking backward, it seems to be a reasonable move since Cabrera played very well.

Stats after the trade (2004)

Player	Team	Games	H	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	OPS
Orlando Cabrera	Red Sox	58	67	6	31	.294	.320	.785
Nomar Garciaparra	Cubs	43	49	4	20	.297	.364	.819

July 25, 2016

	Cubs	Yankees
à	- Rashad Crawford (minors) - Billy McKinney  - Gleyber Torres  - Adam Warren	Aroldis Chapman
ß	Aroldis Chapman	- Rashad Crawford (minors) - Billy McKinney  - Gleyber Torres  - Adam Warren

Theo Epstein sent 3 prospects and Adam Warren, a pitcher who was acquired from the Yankees in the trade in 2015, to the New York Yankees. The Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs.

In the 2016 regular season, Chapman pitched 26.2 innings for the Cubs and struck out 46 times. He collected 16 saves and his WHIP was only 0.82. Chapman pitched 13 games in the 2016 playoffs, particularly, he went on the mound 5 times and pitched 7.2 innings in the 2016 world series. He gave up a home run in the game 7, a game-tying home run hit by Rajai Davis. It was the only home run Chapman gave up in his Cubs time. Yes, when Chapman was with the Cubs, he didn’t allow any home runs in the regular season, in the division series and in the league championship series. However, Chapman did strike out Indians' batters 11 times.

Winning the World Series championships requires lots of work. Making trades that work is one of several factors. The Dave Roberts trade has shown us the importance of base running. Theo Epstein sent 2 great shortstops (Garciaparra and Torres) in two blockbuster trades. And two trades did work. It’s impossible to make every trade that works. Theo Epstein did make some mistakes at some trades, but to win the World Series, particularly, the important wins to end the curse, these trades made by Theo are hard to be forgotten.