Boston Red Sox fans everywhere rejoiced when news broke that Theo Epstein was joining Fenway Sports Group.
After the Red Sox underwent another brutal offseason with few significant changes made to the roster, FSG announced that Epstein had purchased a stake in the group and become a senior advisor. He works with all teams and sports in FSG's portfolio but has a bit of a special focus on the Red Sox.
Many people didn't expect Epstein's tenure with FSG to stick long-term, though. There have been rumblings around MLB for some time that Epstein may be gunning for the commissioner job when Rob Manfred's tenure ends. Manfred said he will step down from the position when his contract expires in Jan. 2029.
MLB insider and USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale recently reported that Epstein is not interested in the commissioner position and that he hopes to become an owner. He also named some primary candidates for the job — among them are MLB vice president of business operations Morgan Sword, deputy commissioners Dan Halem and Noah Garden, and chief operations and strategy officer Chris Marinek.
Theo Epstein is returning to the Boston Red Sox. He'll join Fenway Sports Group as a senior adviser, and while he won't be in charge of personnel decisions, his voice should carry enormous weight as the Red Sox figure out how to get back into contention in the brutal AL East.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 2, 2024
Recent report suggests that Theo Epstein has no interest in becoming MLB's next commissioner
Nightengale did not specify for which sport Epstein would like to become an owner, but baseball is his specialty. He helped the Red Sox and Cubs break their World Series curses and he is well-respected in the MLB universe.
Epstein is a Massachusetts native and his return to the Red Sox organization gives Boston fans hope. If he hopes to become an owner, maybe he plans to get in good with FSG to buy the Red Sox from John Henry and Tom Werner down the line, which would be an incredible outcome for Red Sox Nation.
Epstein's partnership with FSG just began in February, and there are likely years to go before he fully moves into an ownership role. He hasn't stated whether or not he hopes to own the Red Sox or another franchise, but with each passing year, Sox fans' hopes for an administration change increase.
Epstein already helped transform the Red Sox franchise once, and for him to return in an ownership role could be incredible for the recently neglected club. There's no guarantee that owning the Red Sox is his goal, but Boston fans can dream.