Theo Epstein holds press conference; Dan Haren retires after 13-years

Just a day after the Chicago Cubs were eliminated from the postseason by Daniel Murphy and the New York Mets, Theo Epstein held a press conference yesterday afternoon to discuss several topics.

Before dive into what Theo discussed, 35-year-old right-hander Dan Haren has officially retired after spending 13-years in the majors which began in St. Louis with the Cardinals.

Haren performed well in his final big league start, helping the Cubs extend their winning streak to eight games before they rolled into Pittsburgh for the N.L. Wild Card game against the Pirates.

Some feel as if skipper Joe Maddon should have at least used him during the National League Division Series against the Redbirds, while some felt like he should have filled in for Jason Hammel in either best-of-series.

With Haren gone, there’s a hole that needs to be filled within this starting rotation. Which is where Epstein comes back into play.

Epstein stated during his press conference that the club would like to add a quality pitcher to their staff. With guys such as David Price and Zack Greinke becoming free agents, there’s a chance that the Cubs could end up becoming a front-runner for one of the two.

While they search for another arm to help anchor this NLDS winning organization, Jake Arrieta is due for a much-deserved contract after winning 20 plus games and possibly bringing home the N.L. Cy Young award with him.

Another topic of discussion was veteran outfielder Dexter Fowler who earned himself the right to test the free agent market after turning in a terrific season with the Chicago Cubs.

Hopefully, Fowler will end up re-signing with the Cubs and help them finish what they started this season. But don’t be surprised if at least half the league attempts to make a run at acquiring his services.

There’s no doubt that the North Side of Chicago will be a destination of choice for multiple free agents across the board considering the success they had this year. Which means that Scott Boras may become a very busy man while handling Arrieta’s contract on the side.

Here’s more from around the league:

‘Chicago Cubs: Takeaways from Epstein’s press conference‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Chicago Cubs: A thank-you note to a team I truly love‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Chicago Cubs’ Dan Haren retires after 13-years in the league‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Phillies GM search may end this weekend‘ – That Balls Outta Here

‘Milwaukee Brewers hire Derek Johnson as pitching coach‘ – Reviewing The Brew

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