The list of names connected to the Mets’ front office continues growing with each passing day. The newest addition is former Angels’ general manager Billy Eppler, as Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets “have interest” in Eppler, though he has not yet been interviewed for the position.
Eppler has around 20 years of organizational experience at this point in his career, having been hired by the Rockies as a scout in the year 2000. He moved over to the Yankees in 2004, eventually getting promoted to the director of the scouting department, and then to assistant general manager prior to the 2012 season. He became the Angels’ general manager prior to the 2016 season and stayed in that role until being fired in September of 2020. Two months ago, it was revealed that Eppler had joined the William Morris Endeavor agency as a business partner. Given that Eppler is not currently employed by a rival club, he could seemingly avoid the typical song and dance that the Mets have had to go through with many other candidates, asking the club for permission for an interview and often being denied. At this point, it’s not clear if the Mets’ interest is reciprocated from Eppler’s side or if he’s committed to a new role on the other side of the bargaining table.
It was recently reported that the Red Sox were going to give assistant GM Raquel Ferreira permission to speak with the Mets, and it now seems a conversation is imminent. A report in the New York Post from Ken Davidoff, Joel Sherman and Mike Puma says that Ferreira and Mets’ officials will be speaking in the coming days, although it may not exactly be a formal interview. “It’s believed that the talk will be more of a ’Get to know you’ session,” says the article, “in which both sides will determine whether they want to take this idea any further.” However, Jon Heyman of MLB Network does use the word “interview” in a tweet about the matter. Regardless of semantics, it seems that Ferreira’s process is further along than many other executives, who have either been denied permission to speak with the Mets or quickly turned down their advances.
That same article also confirms previous reporting that the Mets are interested in Orioles’ assistant GM Sig Mejdal, although it’s not known if the Orioles will allow the Mets to interview him and, as the piece states, “There is uncertainty within the industry whether Mejdal wants to run a baseball operations department.”
Elsewhere in the Mets’ organization, they also have a vacancy at the manager level, and Heyman reports that they spoke with Bob Melvin before he made the leap from Oakland to San Diego, but that his preference for remaining on the West Coast kept talks from coming to fruition. There were no rumors of Melvin leaving Oakland before it was announced that he had been hired by the Padres, but it appears it that at least a few teams knew he was available and were discussing things behind the scenes.
Here comes the genius Marlin fan that hates Nimmo
Oh, God. Billy Eppler? Eppler was the guy that Arte Moreno hired and then micromanaged every move he made. Why would anyone want him unless they are planning to be the next Arte Moreno and just want a puppet to run the front office?
eppler loves pitchers who throw hard. his pen may perform for 1 season but by next, their arms fall off.
Deep analysis there. Eppler likes pitchers that throw hard. Does he also like hitters that hit the ball hard?
Is Amiel Sawdays of the Diamondbacks not in consideration?
This story is getting a bit old. Just give Met Fan22 the job already!
Makes one wonder what MetsFan22 has in his past.
I’m more in the medical field
Insane asylum?
A patient?
Proctologist.
ASSMAN
Drugs?
Dr. Doom?
Male Stimulation Specialist
Hire John rocker hahaha jk. Ozzy guillen?
I could see Ozzie Guillen as the Mets manager and Ron Washington as the A’s manager. Don’t forget there’s always an excuse for the Mets to not have a manager though. “You have to get a GM before you get a manager. You have to get a PoBO before you get a GM. So the Mets not hiring either right now is actually a good choice!”
True but the article says that the Mets (& other teams) knew that Melvin would be available & the Mets showed interest. I think Melvin would have been a good fit for the Mets, regardless of who the GM & POBO wind up being.
Terry MacAuliffe is available.
Too soon.
Perfect job for the current Chief Executive. The schedule allows for napping during the afternoon.
Reagan was the napper in chief
Nah.
1 loser and 1 has been each perfect for the Muts
Well if BOB said it then it must….
I detect a little hate get over it your team will never do anything with that ASS cohen
Wrong again Bobby. LOTS of hate
Lenny Dykstra would fit right in.
my probation officer said NO! He said the POBO for the NY
“Mess “would be worse then serving my jail sentence…….
You listen to the Howard stern show?
How about Billy Martin
The Mets are interested in…anyone with baseball experience who will take the job!
Im still confident we get either Cashman or Beene or Epstein or all 3. Theres zero reason they wouldn’t upgrade their career by coming to Queens and getting us a ring
They should just put the job posting on LinkedIn or Indeed.
Might actually have a better chance of hiring someone vs cast of clowns that have been hired in the last 3 seasons.
I don’t understand why these “intentions” are being leaked to the press when it creates unnecessary distractions for the teams involved.
Hiring a former Angels GM to run the Mets would be like “crossing the streams” in Ghostbusters – “it would be bad.”
Ferreira would be an interesting choice from a change-of-culture perspective, something the Mets certainly need and are targeting. How she’d operate as a GM is completely unknown, and I can certainly see why she would have some hesitation, hence an initial “get to know each other” meeting.
Eppler should have been an early target, even if just for a fact-finding interview. He’s regarded as very strong on traditional scouting, while also working in a heavily analytics-driven organization with the Yankees. He was assigned to shadow Ohtani for years, a relationship which eventually benefited the Angels. While running pro scouting for the Yankees, he found a number of productive bargains, including bringing back the Big Sexy from oblivion. His early years as the Angels were well reviewed as he took over a team with a bloated payroll with no room for expansion and no farm system. Not exactly an enviable situation. Moreno likes his big shiny toys, which hurts roster construction, and that hurt the end of his tenure. He wouldn’t have that problem with the Mets.
If Cohen doesn’t want to have his new GM “learn on his dime,” and have a stable personality who knows NY, Eppler makes sense. Bonus: He won’t be caught sexting and driving drunk!
“How she’d operate as a GM is completely unknown,”
The Mets do not need another unknown; Eppler would be great!
But I won’t hold my breath that the Mutts will make the right choice; or even any choice at this point!
Angels are the Mets of the west. Second fiddle to the ‘other’ team nearby and make the occasional splash every decade with limited success due to ownership interference.
Eppler makes sense, but at the same time may not be the correct choice. Perhaps hiring an outside firm to conduct the search may help avoid the PR embarrassment and vet through who is available.
Coppy!
This story has gotten longer than Star Wars or War and Peace. Probably end worse too.
People think the Mets have struggled but really they began with people other teams do not start with: Theo, Beane, Stearns, etc., because they are long shots. Plus – if I have a family, there’s no way I’m bribing my kids to a place where the media and fans put you under an intense microscope every day. It’s a toxic environment and the negativity will crush you.
I hear Ron Washington is on his way to turn down the Mgr job which usually the GM hires but since they can’t find one Surprise Cohen is going to pick one.LOL
Raquel Ferreira all the way. Done with the boys club and retreads. New ideas and innovation.
I’m certainly with you on this one, a breathe of fresh air would be great. I hope they don’t make the mistake of another fired retread as you say. I would be behind Ferreira 100%.
Raquel Welch is available
But Raquel Welch doesn’t move her arms when she tap dances.
“Have interest” means “another made up story”
Wow. Eppler was a failure in the position with the Angels, but he was set up to fail by Moreno. Perhaps a different owner who isn’t afraid to spend money on the right players will make a difference. I don’t know if that defines Cohen, but he can’t be as bad as Moreno is.
Worse than Moreno by far he makes Moreno look mild.Cohen would be voted worst owner
in baseball by far.He is a Jerry Jones twin but trolls people on twitter.
Bob – Cohen has owned the team for what, one season? Give him a chance to settle in as a new owner.
Boooo!
Chris Christie for Mets Prez……………
Mike Hill is still available. He’d say yes to Cohen and Alderson…and continue saying yes throughout his tenure.
Paging George Costanza!!! Come meet the Mets…all you have to do is get fired from the Yankees!!