The New York Mets put an end to their long general-manager saga by announcing the hiring of Billy Eppler on Thursday.
Eppler, 46, previously served as the Los Angeles Angels’ general manager from 2015-20. Before that, he was a member of the New York Yankees’ front office for over a decade, serving as assistant GM from 2014-15.
“Billy has the experience, character, and respect of the baseball community that will allow him to attract the players and front office talent to lead the Mets forward,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said. “He is a leader who has worked in two of baseball’s biggest markets and his talents and personality will move us closer to my goal of sustained success.”
Eppler becomes the team’s 16th general manager after signing a four-year contract. The Mets reportedly will introduce him officially at a press conference Friday.
His hiring will officially turn the page on the end of two short-lived tenures. Former general manager Jared Porter was fired amid sexual harassment allegations in January, and his replacement, former interim GM Zack Scott, was also let go earlier this month after a drunk-driving arrest in early September.
Eppler saw mixed results in Los Angeles, hitting big on such personnel signings as Shohei Ohtani while retaining Mike Trout. But the Angels never earned a winning record during his watch, topping out at 80 wins in 2017 and 2018.
The Mets saw his New York ties as being a valuable commodity.
Team president Sandy Alderson said in a statement, “Over the past two decades, Billy has been a scout and an assistant GM. He’s also more than familiar with the New York Market. This uniquely qualifies him to lead our efforts going forward. He’s smart, he hustles and has a keen eye for identifying talent. He’s going to make us better. I am really pleased that we have someone of his caliber leading the Mets.”
Eppler, who graduated from the University of Connecticut, also has worked with the Washington Football Team and the Colorado Rockies.
–Field Level Media
