Options and uncertainties for Epstein

November 2, 2005
In the basement offices at the intersection of Brookline Avenue and Yawkey Way, Theo Epstein and members of his baseball operations department gathered at about 8 Monday night. They opened a beer and reminisced about Epstein's brief and celebrated 35-month tenure as the 11th general manager in the Red Sox' 105-year existence.
Up the stairs, and just outside, camera crews gathered, seeking to capture Epstein leaving Fenway Park on the day he rejected a lucrative offer to extend his contract for three years at $1.5 million per season, choosing personal happiness over prestige and wealth. As the collection of young men brought together by baseball and bound by shared experience recounted their time together, they came to a most pressing question: How could they get Epstein out of the building without facing the camera crush?
Conveniently, Monday night happened to be Halloween night, and someone in the office happened to have a gorilla costume handy. Epstein, according to a baseball operations employee, slipped into the suit, walked out of Gate D, and strolled by the cameras, a smile on his concealed face.
That said, do not be shocked to see Epstein entering or leaving the glass door at 4 Yawkey Way this week. In his statement Monday night, Epstein said he would continue working for several days in preparation for the general managers' meetings, which begin Monday in Palm Springs, Calif. He was at Fenway yesterday and is expected to be working this week, both out of his Boston residence and his former Fenway office.
He is not, however, expected to attend the GM meetings, meaning that at some point this week -- Sunday is the likeliest day -- he'll leave Fenway feeling that his relationship with the club has indeed come to an end.And then what? What comes next for the son of Brookline with an impeccable resume and a World Series ring, who turns 32 Dec. 29?
A baseball executive with a relationship with Epstein said last night that he believes there's only a ''10-20 percent chance" Epstein is completely out of baseball for the coming year. The executive said there's a ''60-70 percent chance" Epstein works in baseball this year in a non-GM capacity.
''Time off may be somewhat appealing to him," the executive said. ''That said, he realizes GM jobs are few, and he is far from burned out."
As of last night, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Associated Press were reporting that Pat Gillick had accepted the Phillies' GM job, leaving only two openings, in Los Angeles (the Dodgers) and Tampa Bay.
Does Epstein work with a team in an advisory role, to remain plugged into the game until a GM job to his liking opens? Or, does he leave baseball entirely, and do something less glamorous but personally satisfying, such as social work, the occupation of his twin brother, Paul?

Source: http://www.boston.com/