Cubs, Red Sox GM Epstein said to have deal

Boston Red Sox executive Theo Epstein agreed to a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to multiple media reports.

Epstein, 37, would leave the Red Sox with a year remaining on his contract as general manager and take over what is expected to be an expanded role with the Cubs.

The Associated Press, radio station WEEI in Boston, ESPN the Magazine and SI.com cited unidentified sources in reporting that Epstein has agreed to a deal. Details were still being worked out.

Red Sox collapse at issue

As the Red Sox disintegrated in what would become the worst September collapse in baseball history, some at Fenway Park grew concerned that the pain medication Terry Francona was taking after a half-dozen procedures on his knee might have been affecting his ability to manage, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

In a 2,500-word, front-page article, the newspaper spread the blame: apathetic players eating chicken in the clubhouse during games; a general manager who squandered a $161-million budget on underperformers; ownership that thought players could be bought off with $300 headphones and a party on a yacht. Boston had a 7-20 record in September.

According to the Globe, team sources “expressed concern that Francona’s performance may have been affected by the use of pain medication.” The sources were not identified, the article said, saying they feared for their jobs or relationships in the organization.

The article also said Francona was worried about his son and son-in-law serving in Iraq. At the same time, Francona was living in a hotel, separated from his wife.

In response, Francona noted he was dealing with the same problems during the four-month period when the team was going 80-41.

Angels’ executive search

The Angels were granted permission by the New York Yankees to interview front-office executives Damon Oppenheimer and Billy Eppler for their vacant general manager position, the New York Daily News reported.

An Angels spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the report, saying only that the team “has indeed initiated our search process for a new general manager, which includes reaching out to some organizations.”

Oppenheimer, 48, the vice president of amateur scouting, has been credited with turning around the Yankees’ minor league system, considered among the worst in baseball less than a decade ago.

Eppler, 36, is the Yankees’ senior director of pro personnel and has been GM Brian Cashman’s right-hand man since the end of the 2009 season.

-- Mike DiGiovanna

Etc.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard could sit out the start of next season after he had surgery on his Achilles’ tendon, injured Friday. ... Cleveland Indians starter Justin Masterson underwent surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder.