Theo Epstein became general manager of the Boston Red Sox in November 2002, taking over for interim GM Mike Port. At just 28 years old, Epstein became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball. He went on to build two World Series-winning teams (2004 and 2007) and his personnel group drafted some of the organization's key star players, including Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, right, traded for star pitcher Curt Schilling in November 2003 to help solidify the team's starting rotation after losing the 2003 ALCS to the New York Yankees. Schilling, at left during a news conference on Nov. 28, 2003, in Scottsdale, Ariz., went 53-29 and won two World Series titles in four years in Boston before he retired.
Terry Francona, center, is introduced as the Red Sox's 44th manager at a news conference at Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 4, 2003, as he stands with team president Larry Lucchino, left, and general manager Theo Epstein. Francona took over for Grady Little and managed the team to two World Series titles before parting ways with the team after a disappointing 2011 campaign.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein signed relief pitcher Keith Foulke, right, after the 2003 season to shore up the closer position. Foulke, seen here standing at a press conference at Fenway Park in Boston with Epstein on Dec. 19, 2003, spent three years playing for the Red Sox. His second and third seasons were not successful, but he was a key pitcher on the team's 2004 World Series run, allowing just one run in 14 innings.
Designated hitter and first baseman David Ortiz, left, hugs general manager Theo Epstein after the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 4 on Oct. 27, 2004, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Epstein signed Ortiz as a free agent before the 2003 season for $1.25 million and he went on to hit 320 home runs and drive in 1,028 runs in nine years with the team.
Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino, left, speaks to reporters at Fenway Park in Boston on Jan. 25, 2006, as general manager Theo Epstein looks on. Epstein left his position after the 2005 season for more than two months before returning to the team as general manager, while also adding the title of Executive Vice President.
Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, right, displays his Red Sox jersey at a news conference to announce his signing as he poses with principal owner John Henry, left, and general manager Theo Epstein on Dec. 14, 2006, in Boston. The Red Sox paid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with him and signed him to a six-year $52 million contract before the 2007 season. The pitcher missed most of the 2011 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, left, general manager Theo Epstein, center, and manager Terry Francona hold the World Series trophy after Boston beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 in Game 4 on Oct. 28, 2007, at Coors Field in Denver to sweep the series.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was willing to take risks on players coming off of injuries to help build his teams. Here, Epstein sits with pitcher John Smoltz, left, at a news conference at Fenway Park in Boston on Jan. 13, 2009, after signing with the team. The move didn't work out as the then 42-year-old Smoltz went just 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in 2009 before being released in the middle of the season.
Theo Epstein got married and started a family while he was the Red Sox's general manager. He married Marie Whitney in January 2007 and later that year she gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Jack. Here, Epstein plays with Jack during a spring training workout in Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 18, 2009.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, right, signed John Lackey, center, to a five-year contract worth $82.5 million before the 2010 season. Epstein, Lackey and former manager Terry Francona, left, sit here a news conference at Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 16, 2009. The move has not worked out for the team, as Lackey struggled to a 12-12 record with a 6.41 ERA in 2011.
Outfielder Mike Cameron, left, signed a two-year contract worth $15.5 million contract before the 2010 season. Here, he smiles as he sits next to general manager Theo Epstein during a news conference at Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 16, 2009. Cameron did not have a successful stint in Boston either, as he was injured for most of 2010 and was released in the middle of the 2011 season.
In addition to signing outfielder Carl Crawford, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, left, acquired power-hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, center, in a trade from the San Diego Padres after the 2010 season for three minor leaguers. Here, Epstein, left, Gonzalez, center, and principal owner John Henry stand together at a news conference in Boston on Dec. 6, 2010. Gonzalez batted .338 with a league-leading 213 hits in 2011.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, left, had a busy offseason before the 2011 season. Here, he shakes hands with outfielder Carl Crawford at a Dec. 11, 2010, news conference at Fenway Park in Boston after Crawford agreed to a seven-year, $142 million contract. Crawford had a tough first season in Boston, batting just .255 with 11 home runs in 130 games.
In one of his final acts as Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein, center, talked to reporters at a Sept. 30 news conference with one of the owners Tom Werner, left, and team president and CEO Larry Lucchino as they discuss the departure of manager Terry Francona after eight years.