Mets GM Billy Eppler Resigns After Losing ‘Top Decision-Making Role’

Mets General Manager Billy Eppler resigned Thursday afternoon after three seasons with the team. Early reports suggest that Eppler resigned in response to the team’s move to appoint David Stearns as president of baseball operations, a position which gave him executive power on team decisions.

Eppler, who previously served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels from 2015 to 2020, had an eventful three seasons in New York. After a disappointing mid-season collapse in 2021, the team came back strong in 2022 and won 101 games. The improved performance wasn’t enough to win the NL East, however, and the team fell in the Wild Card round to the Padres.

Eppler and the Mets entered the 2023 season with high expectations, having acquired pitchers Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga to join Max Scherzer in a stacked rotation. The team also signed reliever David Robertson and extended contracts for stars Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz. Diaz went down with a season-ending injury in the World Baseball Classic, however, a bad omen for the season to come.

Owner Steve Cohen gave his front office the highest payroll in the history of baseball, but it was immediately clear that the roster was simply not delivering. With the team essentially out of the playoff race by July, Eppler decided to trade away many of the team’s most valuable assets and begin the process of rebuilding. Scherzer went to Texas while Verlander returned to Houston. Robertson went to Miami and Pham went to Arizona. All four players ended up on playoff teams, and the Mets ate significant portions of their contracts in order to receive better prospects in return.

Though Eppler received praise for his negotiating efforts at the deadline, other decisions related to management and analytics consistently came under fire. A report earlier this week claimed that Eppler consistently debated former manager Buck Showalter over starting Daniel Vogelbach at designated hitter. Showalter, who officially left the team Sunday, reportedly favored others on the bench but Eppler insisted that Vogelbach start against right-handed pitchers. He ended the season hitting .233 with 13 home runs, well below MLB standards at the slugging position.

The team made the decision to hire Stearns at the end of the season in an attempt at a fresh start heading into 2024. Serving as the assistant general manager of the Houston Astros from 2013 to 2015, Stearns has been credited as a key contributor to the team’s dynastic ascendance. After Houston, he became the general manager (and later president of baseball operations) of the Milwaukee Brewers and stayed with the team through the 2023 season. During his tenure, the team made four straight playoff appearances between 2018 and 2021.

With Stearns now at the helm, Eppler no longer had the same power over team decisions, likely explaining his resignation.

Article by Patrick Moquin