Has Theo ever really Left?

In a post comparing the Boston Red Sox to the Cast of '24' I paired Theo Epstein and President David Palmer. Palmer was elected with high hopes, we assume he produced results but did not seek re-election after one term. He came back this past season during the State of Emergency and for all intents and purposes ran the country as if he was the President while President Keeler was recovering from the crash of Air Force One.

ESPN's Peter Gammons on his weekly appearance on WEEI in Boston's "The Big Show", seems to think Theo may be doing the same and put wood on the fire of Theo return rumors. He had this to say regarding the recent Renteria-Marte trade.

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Larry Johnson (Guest, Black Minister biggest Michael Bishop fan there's ever been): If Theo were still running the show, do you think he would have operated the same way in terms of endorsing...

Peter Gammons (The Commissioner, although I get as much insight from ESPN.com and Big Show contributor Sean McAdam): You don't think he is?

LJ: I'm sorry...

Gammons: You don't think he is?

LJ: I don't know, is he?

Gammons: (four seconds of silence) Umm, yeah, he definitely would have operated the same way.

LJ: Do you think he still has some contact with them with input?

Gammons: Yes. I don't think there's any question... of course he talks to them, he's very good friends with them all.

Glenn Ordway (host of the show making $2 Million a year to serve as a facilitator for whom without the show would be grating to listen to): You're not giving the impression, because it's been thrown out there, Buster Olney's thrown it out there, that he still believes there's a chance that Theo's gonna come back in that position. You don't believe that's gonna happen do you?

Gammons: (three seconds of silence) Yeah. I think there's a chance. I mean, there's certain things you couldn't script and they're all laughing about this today. There are things that are very funny and I'm not being cruel about it but one of the funniest things, and the thing we in Boston have been laughed at most, is people actually saying and writing that Jerry Kapstein is gonna be the general manager. That is the single funniest thing... it's become the laughing stock of the United States... He's a wonderful guy. He's a terrific guy but he hasn't been in baseball a long time... he's a very well meaning, terrific person... I don't know where it's all going. There's always contact because he's friends with those guys. This thing has gone on a long time. There is nobody on the general manager horizon. I could see maybe they would do it, although (Bill) Lajoie reiterated today that he doesn't want to be the general manager, I could if there were no way Theo came back, I could see them continuing this group. But there's no one there right now that they've interviewed who's a candidate.

Ordway: But with everything that's happened, how would Theo come back and take that role?

Gammons: John Henry never wanted him to leave in the first place and Larry never wanted him to leave. I think that. There are things that I always believed could be cleared up. Larry Lucchino wants the team to be really good. And by the way, he did a phenominal job down here with the whole Scott Boras negotiations with Damon... Right now, I'm not sure it could happen, but I don't really see what else they will do... they've made no move to go in another direction... they're all adults (and can clear up past problems). I'm not saying it's happening. I just think it can happen... it seems strange to me that 37 days (after Theo left) there would be nobody on the horizon to replace him... If you knew Theo Epstein, one of the things you would understand that one of the things he's best at is saying 'you know what, I'm wrong' and moving on (as he would have done on Renteria)."