Theo Epstein is entering the final year of his contract with the Chicago Cubs and has reiterated his longstanding belief that about a decade of service time for an organization might be enough for him.

"For me, as an individual, there is benefit for change, after a significant amount of time on the job," Epstein said. "I have to keep that in mind without making any definitive statements.

"I'm not going to run away from those feelings but I'm also as invested in the Chicago Cubs as I was at any point in the last nine years."

Epstein spoke several times in a conference call with reporters about a transition of power.

When asked whether his role with the team could change in 2021, he said: "My expectation and Tom's [Ricketts] expectation is that means status quo, for now, as we go into 2021. But the status quo that is mindful of the importance of transition planning. ... If adjustments in structure or role or timing are necessary to put the Cubs in the best possible position going forward, then that's what I want. We all feel the most likely outcome is status quo."