The Cubs attempt to hire Theo Epstein from the Red Sox has stopped being a baseball story and has started to become a bit of theater by Beckett or Ionesco, you may continue to write the dialogue for this mess here.
Where we stand now is that the Cubs and Red Sox absolutely, definitely, perhaps, sort of, have a deal or do not have an agreement on compensation. The Cubs have not spoken to the Padres about Jed Hoyer, but they absolutely, definitely, perhaps have an agreement to either send two minor leaguers to the Padres or offer no compensation.
Does that all make sense?
And I thought it was time we saw Jed Hoyer's kisser on the front page for a while too.