WEEI's John Dennis is reporting that the initial day of negotiations between the Red Sox and Cubs regarding the compensation that Chicago would send to the Sox in order to hire general manager Theo Epstein revealed a gap between the sides.
Wrote Dennis on Twitter: Day 1 of the COMPENSATION negotiation between Sox & Cubs did NOT go well today. Boston wants prospects. Chicago wants to pay just cash.
Epstein, Dennis reported on Wednesday, has agreed to a five-year deal with the Cubs. However, because he has one year left on the four-year deal he signed with the Sox after the 2008 season, the Sox seek compensation in order to release him from his obligations.
The Sox were on the other side of a similar situation in 2002, when the team was going to offer one or more prospects to the A's in order to bring Billy Beane from Oakland to Boston. However, the two sides never needed to reach an agreement, since after Beane had initially accepted an offer to become GM of the Red Sox, he had a change of heart and stayed in Oakland before the two teams reached a formal agreement about compensation.
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