Looking for GM: Billy Eppler, former Angels general manager, agrees on four-year deal with New York

NS New York Mets has officially announced Billy Eppler as general manager.

Eppler, 46 years old, has served in the same role as Angel of Los Angeles for nearly five years, from October 2015 to the end of the 2020 season. The Angels have not had a winning season under his supervision, instead they have won 72 to 80 games in four of the five. that try. (They will hit 70 wins in 2020 if their win rate is maintained throughout the full 162-match schedule.)

Prior to taking over the Angels, Eppler served in various roles for New York Yankees organization, including as a scout and later as an assistant general manager. He also worked for Colorado Rockiesand more recently on the dealer side.

The search for the Mets chief executive before hiring Eppler was so long that it was fruitless. New York seems to be turned down by a new potential candidate daily, starting with big names like Billy Beane and Theo Epstein and extending to individuals whose names the average fan won’t be able to identify. alone.

The Mets are in this situation because of the failure of Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson’s first hire last winter. Mets fired former general manager Jared Porter after ESPN reported that he sexually harassed a female journalist. Mets named Zack Scott as their interim GM, only to see him get arrested on suspicion of him driving while intoxicated end of the season. Scott was also recently let go by the team.

Eppler and Adam Cromie, a former assistant superintendent of Washington Nationals who has worked for the past few years as an attorney, have recently emerged as leading candidates for the position.