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Billy Eppler

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Billy Eppler
Eppler in 2015
Born: (1975-09-16) September 16, 1975 (age 49)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Teams
As assistant general manager

As general manager

Billy Eppler (born September 16, 1975) is an American baseball executive who most recently served as the general manager of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). In February 2024, Eppler was placed on MLB's ineligible list for the 2024 season due to fabrication of player injuries in violation of league rules during his tenure with the Mets.[1] He also served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels from 2015 to 2020. Before that, he worked as the director of professional scouting and assistant general manager for the New York Yankees.

Career

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Eppler is a native of San Diego, California. He is the youngest of four children.[2] He graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1993.[3][4] He enrolled at San Diego Mesa College, where he played college baseball before earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Connecticut to play for the Connecticut Huskies baseball team.[2] An arm injury ended his playing career.[5] He graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1998.[6]

After graduating from Connecticut, Eppler interned with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.[6] The Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball hired Eppler as a scout in 2000.[5] After the 2004 season, he was hired to scout for the New York Yankees, working in the Tampa office run by Mark Newman and Damon Oppenheimer. When Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was given the authority to restructure the Yankees' front office after the 2005 season, he created a professional scouting department and promoted Eppler to serve as its director.[5][7] In that role, Eppler and his staff were responsible for scouting acquisitions, which led to the signings of Bartolo Colón, Eric Chavez, Cory Wade, Freddy García, Russell Martin, Andruw Jones, and Luis Ayala.[8] He was promoted to assistant general manager during the 2011–12 offseason.[9]

Eppler is well versed in the statistics of baseball, using them to sign Edwar Ramírez out of independent baseball.[10] In 2011, Eppler interviewed for the general manager opening for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was one of the finalists for the position, which went to Jerry Dipoto.[11] In August 2014, he interviewed to be the general manager for the San Diego Padres,[3] but the Padres hired A. J. Preller.[12] When the Arizona Diamondbacks fired Kevin Towers as their general manager in September 2014, Eppler was one of the five candidates they identified as a potential replacement.[13] Eppler declined to interview for the position,[14] and the Diamondbacks chose Dave Stewart.[15]

After the 2015 season, following Dipoto's resignation, Eppler again interviewed with the Angels for their general manager position.[16] The Angels hired Eppler as their general manager on October 4,[17] signing him to a four-year contract.[18] Later in October, the Angels lost front office executives Matt Klentak, Tim Bogar, and Scott Servais, who were hired by other organizations.[19] Eppler developed his own analytics department, and brought some executives, including special assistant Eric Chavez, to the Angels from New York.[18] Over the next few seasons, Eppler built around Mike Trout with acquisitions of Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, Anthony Rendon, and Andrelton Simmons.[20][21]

Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, Eppler was fired by the Angels. In his five years with the Angels, they never reached the postseason.[22] In September 2021, William Morris Endeavor announced that Eppler would be joining their baseball division as a business partner.[23]

On November 18, 2021, the New York Mets hired Eppler as their general manager, signing him to a four-year contract.[24] Following the hiring of David Stearns to be the Mets' president of baseball operations, Eppler resigned from the Mets on October 5, 2023. When he resigned, he was under investigation by MLB for using the injured list for players who were not injured.[25] On February 9, 2024, MLB announced that Eppler had been placed on the ineligible list for the 2024 MLB season, due to violating league rules regarding the injured list.[26][27]

Personal life

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Eppler and his wife, Catherine, married in 2007 and have a son.[4][19]

References

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  1. ^ "Eppler placed on Ineligible List for '24 following investigation". MLB.com. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Gonzalez, Alden (January 29, 2016). "Billy Eppler worked up ranks to Angels GM | Los Angeles Angels". Mlb.com. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "SD native Eppler interviews for Padres' GM job". San Diego Padres. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Reino, Nicole (April 22, 2007). "Destination wedding for New York couple meant lots of prep time via phone, e-mail". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Kepner, Tyler (February 28, 2009). "Yanks' Top Scout Has Eye for Talent and Ear for Nuance". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Kuty, Brendan (September 5, 2015). "Billy Eppler to Angels? What you should know about Yankees' assistant GM". NJ.com. NJ Advance Media. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  7. ^ Kepner, Tyler (September 22, 2006). "BASEBALL; From Arizona, to Columbus, to the Bronx". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  8. ^ Carig, Marc (October 30, 2011). "Yankees' expanded scouting is a key resource during offseason". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Yankees hire former Cubs GM Jim Hendry as Special Assignment Scout". MLB.com. January 31, 2012. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  10. ^ Neyer, Rob (July 17, 2007). "Yanks use stats to find a gem". ESPN. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  11. ^ DiGiovanna, Mike (October 28, 2011). "Jerry Dipoto to be new Angels general manager". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  12. ^ Feinsand, Mark (August 7, 2014). "Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler can't cash in on experience". NY Daily News. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  13. ^ Magruder, Jack (September 5, 2014). "Tony La Russa lists 5 candidates for D-backs general manager". Fox Sports Arizona. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  14. ^ Gilbert, Steve (September 14, 2014). "La Russa set to trim list of GM candidates: D-backs' chief baseball officer may have finalists meet club brass soon". MLB.com. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  15. ^ Gilbert, Steve. "Stewart reportedly D-backs' choice to be general manager". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  16. ^ Fletcher, Jeff (October 4, 2015). "Angels closing in on GM decision, likely Billy Eppler". Orange County Register. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  17. ^ "Angels hire Yanks assistant GM Billy Eppler as general manager". Associated Press. October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Kepner, Tyler (March 20, 2016). "Billy Eppler Is Rebuilding the Angels, but on a Fast Track". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Gonzalez, Alden (October 26, 2015). "Eppler mulling all options for front-office staff: New Angels GM wants a group to work well together moving forward". MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  20. ^ Miller, Jeff (March 25, 2018). "The Angels may have found their ace in general manager Billy Eppler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  21. ^ Fletcher, Jeff (April 27, 2018). "Angels GM Billy Eppler saw better things coming for both Andrelton Simmons, Didi Gregorius". Orange County Register. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  22. ^ Gonzalez, Alden (September 27, 2020). "Los Angeles Angels fire general manager Billy Eppler in fifth year". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  23. ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 13, 2021). "WME Sports Hires Jim Murray, Michael Stival, Billy Eppler to Co-Lead Baseball Business". The Hollywood Reporter.
  24. ^ DiComo, Anthony (November 18, 2021). "Mets make Eppler new GM on 4-year deal". MLB.com. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  25. ^ Sammon, Will. "Mets GM Billy Eppler resigns".
  26. ^ "Former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler suspended through this year's World Series by Major League Baseball". USA Today. Associated Press. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "Former Mets GM Billy Eppler suspended for fabricating injuries". ESPN.com. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
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