Epstein Could Be a Wild Card

The pool of candidates expanded for the Dodgers and other teams searching for general managers when Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox resigned Monday, turning down a lucrative three-year contract extension.

The opening in Boston also provides another potential option for highly sought candidates Pat Gillick and Gerry Hunsicker and increases the Dodgers’ urgency to begin interviews for their vacancy.

The Dodgers would not comment on whether Epstein would be contacted. Team owner Frank McCourt is a Boston native and tried to buy the Red Sox before purchasing the Dodgers.

However, Epstein, 31, is in the mold of Paul DePodesta, whom McCourt fired Saturday after two seasons. Both are Ivy League graduates who did not play professional baseball. And both rely heavily on statistical analysis that goes far beyond batting averages and earned-run averages when evaluating players and building teams.

Epstein has one thing DePodesta doesn’t -- a championship ring. He was the architect of the Red Sox team that won a historic World Series title in 2004.

Epstein, a graduate of Yale and the University of San Diego law school, said he would remain with the Red Sox for a few days “to assist in an orderly transition and to prepare further for the upcoming GM meetings and other off-season activities.” He said in a release that he looked forward to exploring new challenges in baseball.

McCourt spent Monday compiling a list of candidates and making preliminary contact with at least one. Unless the Dodgers receive special permission from the commissioner’s office, they must interview at least one minority candidate. If they don’t, the commissioner’s office will provide McCourt with a list of minority candidates to consider.

The Dodgers have received permission to talk to Gillick, a veteran former GM, and two sources said they could offer him the job without interviewing him in person. Gillick lives in Toronto.

Gillick, 68, also is a leading candidate for the opening in Philadelphia. The Phillies completed interviews Monday and are expected to hire someone within days.

Other probable Dodger candidates include Hunsicker, the Houston Astro GM from 1996 to 2004; Kim Ng, the current Dodger assistant GM; John Hart, former Texas and Cleveland GM; Jim Bowden, the Washington National GM; and Dennis Gilbert, a special advisor to the Chicago White Sox.

The Dodgers also are considering former pitching great Orel Hershiser for a front-office position. Hershiser, the Texas Ranger pitching coach since 2002, also has managing aspirations and is trying to come to terms with the thought that he would be wearing a suit and tie rather than a uniform.

Reached by e-mail, Hunsicker, 55, declined to comment on whether the Dodgers had contacted him. Sources said several other candidates had initiated contact with McCourt.

The current contracts of several candidates, including Hunsicker and Hershiser, expired Monday, meaning McCourt does not need to get permission to contact them. Hunsicker was an advisor to Houston GM Tim Purpura.

Epstein’s availability could change McCourt’s strategy. It is unclear, though, whether the Dodgers would meet his salary demands. Epstein decided not to accept a three-year offer of $1.5 million a year, which is about double what DePodesta was paid.

The Dodgers still owe DePodesta more than $2 million for the last three years on his contract unless he gets another job.

Epstein rejected offers of $850,000 a year and a second offer of $1.2 million a year, but sources close to the Red Sox said he resigned for reasons that went beyond money.

The highest-paid general manager is Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, who recently accepted a three-year extension for about $6 million. Atlanta GM John Schuerholz, whose teams have won 14 consecutive division titles, makes $1.6 million a year, and Oakland GM Billy Beane makes about $1 million a year and has an ownership stake in the team.

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Terry Collins is scheduled to be back at work today, flying to the Dominican Republic in his role as Dodger farm director. He said he was not upset that the prospect of his becoming manager had been put on hold because DePodesta was fired.

“I came here to run this minor league department, and we’re real proud of it,” he said. “I talked to my people and said, ‘We have a job to do.’

“We have 25 to 30 prospects we have to make sure get better, along with all the rest of the players. Our job is to press on.”

Collins was DePodesta’s choice to replace Jim Tracy and was scheduled to meet with McCourt last Friday. The meeting was canceled when McCourt decided to fire DePodesta.

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Dodger second baseman Jeff Kent has earned his fourth Silver Slugger Award, which goes to each league’s top offensive player at each position, as voted upon by coaches and managers.

Kent, baseball’s all-time leading home run hitter among second basemen, hit the most home runs, 29, and was tied for the most runs batted in, 105, at the position in the National League.

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Glenn Hoffman is close to signing with the San Diego Padres as third base coach. Hoffman, the Dodger third base coach the last six seasons, had a two-hour interview with Padre GM Kevin Towers on Monday.

Hoffman was Dodger manager for 88 games in 1999. His younger brother Trevor has been the Padre closer the last 13 seasons but is a free agent.

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Times staff writer Tim Brown contributed to this report.