The compensation for the trade of non-uniform personnel in the major leagues has never been that much, with the most recent example being the relatively paltry return that the Red Sox received when Theo Epstein moved from Boston to the Cubs. The return was relief pitcher Chris Carpenter, who has pitched in a total of 18 games in the big leagues.

Think about that: Epstein is regarded as one of the best and brightest minds in baseball and was being pursued for a leadership position with a billion-dollar company, and he was under contract, and all the Red Sox received was a second-tier relief pitcher. If the Cubs achieve the potential that rival executives see in them, with a tremendous wave of prospects reaching the big leagues and Jon Lester poised to throw the first pitch of the season, imagine how much money the team stands to make through Epstein's machinations. Great baseball executives continue to be the most undervalued asset in an industry currently obsessed with identifying value.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos has a chance to raise that bar now, with the Toronto Blue Jays' ownership still in the process of looking for a replacement for CEO Paul Beeston.

Kenny Williams, an executive with the White Sox, has been considered, but to date, Chicago owner Jerry Reinsdorf has not allowed Williams to pursue the Jays' gig.