Mets Have No Timeline To Replace Billy Eppler
In a surprising turn of events on Thursday, Mets general manager Billy Eppler resigned from his role. He was initially expected to stay on as GM and work underneath new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who was officially introduced earlier in the week. However, Eppler reportedly stepped down so as not to be a distraction amidst an investigation into his improper use of the injured list, per Mike Puma, Joel Sherman, Jon Heyman, and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.
After a massively disappointing finish in 2023, the Mets have their work cut out for them this offseason. However, as Andy Martino reports for SNY, the team isn’t in any hurry to find Eppler’s replacement. They plan to hire a new GM eventually, but with Stearns already in place to lead the front office, the Mets have not yet set a timeline for that particular task. In this day and age, having a separate GM and president of baseball operations is hardly a necessity. Several teams have one executive working both roles, including Alex Anthopoulos of the Braves, Mike Rizzo of the Nationals, and A.J. Preller of the Padres.
Presumably, the Mets are prioritizing the search for a new manager; it would be helpful to have a replacement for Buck Showalter by the Winter Meetings in December. Perhaps they’d also like to wait until the investigation into Eppler has wrapped up. It stands to reason they’d like to properly close the book on one GM before hiring another. By the time that’s complete and a new skipper is in place, Stearns might prefer to focus on improving the roster for 2024 and beyond, saving the task of finding a new general manager for a later date.
AL West Notes: Brantley, Alvarez, Scherzer
While Michael Brantley‘s health has been a question all year for the Astros, the veteran told members of the media on Friday (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com) that he will be “100% available” for the postseason with “no limitations.” That’s certainly positive news for Houston, although it doesn’t fully line up with comments GM Dana Brown and manager Dusty Baker made the day before. It’s unclear if Brantley has progressed over the past 24 hours, or if he is simply more optimistic about his health.
Brown told reporters on Thursday (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) that Brantley felt “good enough to be on the roster,” and that the five-time All-Star would be “playable throughout the postseason.” Meanwhile, Baker was prepared to take anything he could get from Brantley, “Whether we get him for two games, one game, or whatever.”
While “playable” isn’t the same thing as “no limitations,” the ultimate takeaway is that Brantley feels healthy enough to merit a spot on the 26-man postseason roster. The left-fielder/DH missed the first five months of the season with a shoulder injury, and even after he returned, the pain had not entirely disappeared. He sat out for ten days in mid-September, appearing in only three of the Astros’ final 12 games. His numbers in 2023 were passable but uninspiring; he finished with a .724 OPS in 57 trips to the plate.
However, if he really is back to full strength, Brantley could be a difference-maker in the ALDS. The last time he was fully healthy, he slashed .288/.370/.416 with a 127 wRC+ over the first three months of the 2022 campaign. He has been especially dangerous against right-handed pitching throughout his career, and the Twins – Houston’s ALDS opponents – have an all right-handed starting rotation.
Here are some other updates from the postseason teams in the AL West:
- In more Astros news, Yordan Alvarez confirmed to reporters (including Ari Alexander of KPRC 2) that the elbow pain he was dealing with in September is no longer a concern. The slugger hit .293/.441/.620 during the final month of the season, earning AL Player of the Month honors for his efforts. However, he started in left field only twice over the final two weeks as he dealt with discomfort in his elbow. Evidently, that minor injury issue is a problem no more. While Alvarez isn’t a strong outfield defender, his ability to play the field gives Dusty Baker added flexibility when filling out the lineup card. For instance, the DH spot could give Brantley some time off his feet or backup catcher Yainer Diaz an opportunity to get in the lineup more frequently.
- Across the state, Rangers starter Max Scherzer continues taking steps toward a potential return this postseason. As GM Chris Young told Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, Scherzer could attempt to throw to live hitters today, which would be another promising sign of progress for the veteran. He threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and it is encouraging that he feels strong enough to throw again two days later. Until quite recently, the chances of Scherzing pitching again in 2023 seemed slim. Over the past few weeks, however, the 39-year-old has advanced to a point where it doesn’t seem impossible he could play a role in the ALDS. Still, the Rangers continue to urge caution. “I’m not getting ahead of ourselves,” Young said. “We will see where he is tomorrow and go from there.”
Matt Moore Elects Free Agency
Left-hander Matt Moore elected free agency on Thursday, according to his player page on MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on October 1.
Moore is coming off a second consecutive solid season out of the bullpen, in which he posted a 2.56 ERA in 50 appearances for the Angels, Guardians, and Marlins. While Miami surely could have used him in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, he was ineligible for the postseason roster because he joined the team after the September 1 deadline. Thus, he was DFA’d in spite of his strong numbers.
The veteran southpaw spent the first five months of the season pitching for the Angels, with whom he signed a one-year, $7.55MM contract in February. He was arguably the club’s most effective reliever, leading the team in ERA when he was placed on waivers at the end of August. Nevertheless, with Los Angeles out of the playoff race, the front office did whatever it could to shed payroll and get below the base threshold for the competitive balance tax. That meant parting ways with several veterans on expiring contracts.
Moore was claimed by the Guardians, but less than three weeks later, the Guardians, too, fell out of contention. He was placed back on waivers and claimed by the Marlins, who were looking for any edge they could get in the close NL Wild Card race. The lefty did his job, pitching four scoreless innings in four Miami victories. He even collected the win on September 27, as the Marlins took hold of the third Wild Card spot.
The former All-Star starting pitcher will turn 35 next year, but having reinvented himself as a high-leverage reliever over the past two seasons, he should have no trouble finding a new major league deal this winter. In fact, with the exception of Josh Hader and Aroldis Chapman, he might be the most sought-after lefty reliever on the free agent market.
Joey Votto Plans To Play In 2024
Reds first baseman Joey Votto just wrapped up the final guaranteed year of his contract, and while the Reds hold a $13MM decision on a $20MM team option for the veteran’s services next season, they seem all but certain to simply pay the $7MM buyout on the option.
The end of his contract in Cincinnati has come with plenty of speculation regarding whether or not Votto, who turned 40 last month, would retire after seventeen seasons in the big leagues. Votto put that speculation to rest today on The Dan Patrick Show, as the show’s executive producer Paul Pabst made note of this morning. As a guest on the radio show this morning, Votto announced that he wants to play “at least” one more season before adding that while he wants to play for the Reds, he would at least consider playing for another club if the team decides they want to move on.
From a pure production standpoint, Votto appears to be something of a borderline candidate for a big league role headed into 2024. His 2023 season saw him begin the season on the injured list as he struggled to get ready for the season following shoulder surgery he underwent in the summer of 2022, but once he reached the field he was a roughly league average bat for the Reds, slashing .202/.314/.433 (98 wRC+) with 14 home runs in just 242 trips to the plate.
Of course, there’s more at play here than simply raw on-the-field production. Votto is one of the premiere talents of his generation, a six-time All Star who won the NL MVP award in 2010 and finished in the top-10 of MVP voting five additional times. He’s led the National League in on-base percentage seven times in his career, stands as the league’s active leader in walks and hits (following the retirement of Miguel Cabrera) while placing in the top five among active players in doubles, home runs, and RBI. What’s more, he’s spent his entire professional career in a Reds uniform ever since being drafted by the club in the second round of the 2002 draft.
Given Votto’s Hall of Fame-caliber resume and two-decade long history in the Reds organization, it’s hard to imagine him playing for any other club. That being said, the reality of the situation may not be quite so cut-and-dry. After all, the Reds are at the beginning of what could be a long competitive window and boast a bevy of exciting young position players and prospects including Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte. Those five players alone figure to fill the club’s infield mix and DH spot, to say nothing of the presence of Jonathan India and other up-and-coming youngsters like Edwin Arroyo. It’s hard to imagine Votto having a place in the club’s everyday lineup in 2024, though it’s unclear if he would be open to a bench role in the organization.
That said, it seems unlikely that Votto would be able to find a starting role on a contender in the event he moves on from the Reds. While it’s certainly feasible he could find a part-time role with a club in need of lefty bats like his hometown Blue Jays, it’s fair to assume based on Votto’s comments that such an arrangement would only be on the table if the Reds are unwilling to offer him a role on the team in any capacity, given his stated preference to play for Cincinnati next year.
AL Notes: Verdugo, Astros, Mariners
With the Red Sox front office seeing change at the top following the firing of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, it’s hard to predict what sort of direction Boston might go in this offseason before they find a replacement for Bloom at the top of the club’s hierarchy. Still, there are some clues, most notably comments by team president and CEO Sam Kennedy that indicate the club hopes to sign some of their younger players to long-term extensions, with the likes of right-hander Brayan Bello, first baseman Triston Casas, and outfielders Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu earning particular mention.
While Duran had experience in the infield during his time in the minors, both he and Abreu are exclusively outfielders at the big league level. Between Boston’s apparent belief in both youngsters, the emergence of top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela as perhaps the club’s best defender in center field, and the presence of Masataka Yoshida on a long-term deal, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see where outfielder Alex Verdugo fits in for the Red Sox. As noted by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, however, Verdugo spoke glowingly of the organization on the final day of the regular season.
“Hopefully I stay here with the Red Sox,” Verdugo said, “I love this organization. I have made it clear to them.” At the same time, Verdugo acknowledged the uncertainty of his position headed into the offseason before saying, “You just have to work hard… If it’s not this team, there’s 29 other teams.”
A free agent after the 2024 campaign, Verdugo would be an interesting trade candidate if dangled by the Red Sox this offseason. Verdugo finished the 2023 campaign on a rough note, slashing just .225/.268/.367 in the second half. Prior to that, however, he was a borderline All Star with a .290/.360/.457 slash line that was in line with the very best performances of his career. Taken together, it makes for a roughly league average production (98 wRC+) in 142 games this year. Verdugo also contributed positively with the glove, registering +1 Outs Above Average after posting -5 marks in each of the previous two seasons. That combination of solid defense in right field and a league average or better lefty bat should be intriguing to outfield-needy clubs, particularly given a fairly soft free agent class at the position.
More from the American League…
- The Astros are set to begin their postseason push tomorrow with a five-game set against the Twins in the ALDS, but GM Dana Brown is already making plans for what comes next when the team’s season concludes. As noted by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Brown, who joined the Astros as GM back in January, has made clear that promotions are inbound for other members of the club’s front office, saying that he’s “found out they have a lot of good people here.” Brown noted that “at least six” promotions are expected within the front office. While the specific personnel and role changes being discussed aren’t yet clear, it’s sensible for the Astros to promote from within as front offices around baseball begin asking their fellow organizations for permission to interview club employees for positions in their own organization. As previously mentioned, the Red Sox are looking for a new head of their baseball operations department, while the Mets could look to replace GM Billy Eppler in the near future after he stepped down from his role as David Stearns’s second in command yesterday.
- With managerial vacancies in Anaheim, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Queens already announced, plenty of clubs are already making changes in the dugout this offseason. MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi suggests that the Mariners could see several members of their coaching staff get significant attention for the open positions, listing bullpen coach Stephen Vogt, first base coach Kristopher Negron, and third base coach Manny Acta all as Seattle coaches who could be under consideration for one or more of the current vacancies. Acta is the only one of the three with previous managerial experience at the big league level; in addition to three years with the Nationals from 2007-2009, he stands as Cleveland’s most recent manager besides Terry Francona, who retired from managing following the 2023 campaign.
The Opener: Division Series, Mets, Showalter
As the baseball world gears up for the second round of the playoffs, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Division Series begins tomorrow:
With all four Wild Card Series matchups having been settled on Wednesday, baseball fans are already looking ahead to the four matchups of the Division Series, which will begin tomorrow. The Braves, Orioles, Dodgers and Astros all secured byes through the Wild Card Series, meaning each club is fully rested as they gear up to face their first opponents of the postseason. First up on the schedule at 12:03pm CT tomorrow is the Orioles, who will take on the Rangers at Camden Yards. Next up at 3:45pm CT will be the Astros, who figure to face the AL Central champion Twins in Houston. The NL, meanwhile, features a pair of division rivalries. At 5:07pm CT the Braves will square off against the Phillies in Atlanta before the night concludes at 8:20pm CT with the Dodgers facing the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
2. What’s next for the Mets?
The Mets had a tumultuous evening yesterday, as GM Billy Eppler abruptly stepped down from his role as the club’s second-in-command under new president of baseball operations David Stearns. Eppler’s sudden resignation was brought on by an MLB investigation into both Eppler himself and the Mets regarding so-called “phantom IL” stints, when teams place healthy players on the injured list in order to give the player a physical and/or mental resist while freeing up their 26-man roster spot temporarily. The practice widely utilized around the league, though it’s technically against MLB’s rules.
In any case, the situation is sure to have effects going forward not only on the Mets, but on the league as a whole. It’s likely that the Mets and/or Eppler himself are at risk of facing fines or other disciplinary action from MLB, depending the results of the league’s investigation, while the league’s other clubs will surely watch the situation with interest, as it may signal a crackdown on the widespread practice by the league. In the more immediate term, the Mets now figure to look for someone to fill Eppler’s shoes in the Mets front office, with Stearns now in position to choose his own number two.’
3. Showalter eyeing Anaheim:
The Angels recently parted ways with manager Phil Nevin, whose contract with the club expired at the end of the season. GM Perry Minasian recently indicated that the club’s search for a new manager was still in a very preliminary stage, noting that they had not yet established a timeline for the new hire or even assembled a list of potential candidates. One candidate has thrown his own hat into the ring, however: recently-fired Mets manager Buck Showalter has reportedly expressed interest in the vacancy in Anaheim.
On the surface, the pairing seems to be a good fit given Showalter’s desire to return to the dugout in 2024 and the tumultuous situation the Angels are facing, with the likely departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, perhaps calling for a more experienced hand to guide the club as they look to avoid missing the playoffs for the ninth-consecutive time. Organizations looking to fill managerial vacancies around the league appear to be gearing up to begin external interviews in earnest next week; could one between Showalter and the Angels be among them?
Billy Eppler Steps Down As Mets’ General Manager
6:10PM: Eppler resigned to avoid being a distraction to the club during an ongoing MLB investigation into Eppler and the Mets allegedly making improper use of the injured list, as per a report from the New York Post. (Link to our full post on this story.)
3:23PM: Mets general manager Billy Eppler has resigned from his position, according to a press release from the team. Mets owner Steve Cohen said that Eppler “led this team through a 101-win season and postseason berth last year and he will be missed. We accepted Billy’s resignation today as he decided it is in everyone’s best interest to fully hand over the leadership of Baseball Operations to David Stearns. On behalf of the Mets organization, we wish him all the best.”
Eppler himself issued a comment in the release, saying “I wanted David to have a clean slate and that meant me stepping down. I hope for nothing but the best for the entire Mets organization.”
Given how Stearns’ first few weeks have seen the Mets cut ties with manager Buck Showalter and make some other personnel changes within the front office, it doesn’t seem shocking on paper that Eppler is also on the way out. That said, Eppler had been expected to continue as GM and serve as Stearns’ top lieutenant, making today’s news “a major surprise” in the view of SNY’s Andy Martino. Two full years remained on the original four-year contract Eppler signed with the Mets in November 2021.
The Amazins brought Eppler into the fold with the hopes of stabilizing a front office that had become a revolving door. Sandy Alderson stepped away from the GM position in July 2018 due to a battle with cancer, with John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi, Omar Minaya handling matters on an interim basis until Brodie Van Wagenen was hired a few months later as the new general manager. Van Wagenen’s tenure lasted for a little more than two years (until Cohen bought the team), and incoming GM Jared Porter lasted only six weeks before being being fired due to reports of a past incident of sexual harassment. Zack Scott then became interim GM but lasted less than a year, as a DWI charge led the Mets to ultimately part ways.
Even with the lockout interrupting much of the 2021-22 offseason, the Mets still spent big both before and after the transactions freeze, with some of Eppler’s biggest strikes happening in the few weeks between his hiring and the early-December shutdown. That winter saw the Mets bring Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha, and Chris Bassitt into the fold, while also hiring Showalter as the new manager. The result was a 101-61 record, the second-highest win total in the Mets’ franchise history. However, New York still had to settle for a wild card slot after losing the NL East crown to the Braves on a tiebreaker, and the Mets’ playoff run quickly ended with a three-game loss to the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.
With Cohen sparing no expense on player payroll, Eppler kept the big moves coming last winter, bringing both new faces (Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and more) to Queens on pricey free agent deals, re-signing Mets staples Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, and even extending other regulars like Jeff McNeil. The result was an Opening Day payroll of over $330MM — far and away the biggest in baseball history, with a record luxury tax hit to match.
Unfortunately for the Mets and their fans, the large payroll meant an equally large disappointment when the team simply failed to get on track. With injuries playing a factor, New York finished only 75-87, resulting in a midseason pivot that saw Scherzer, Verlander, Canha, Escobar, Tommy Pham, Dominic Leone, and David Robertson all dealt, primarily to add some new young talent to the organization since the Mets ate most of the remaining salary involved in these trades.
“One of the goals here is to expedite the longer-term goal. We’re trying to restock and reload the farm system,” Eppler told reporters at the trade deadline. “You have to go through a little pain to get where we want to go, but I feel like the organization is making strides towards a better future…..Going into 2024 we don’t see ourselves having the same odds that we did in 2022 and 2023, but we will field a competitive team.”
It remains to be seen how the Mets could operate under Stearns, and whether their plan to take some level of a step back next season will impact how they spend, or how they acquire talent. Whatever the outcome, Eppler won’t be part of the plan going forward, so hiring a new general manager as Stearns’ number two will now also be on the Mets’ to-do list.
Only 48 years old, Eppler already has a lengthy resume in baseball. Beginning as a scout in the Rockies organization, he moved on to a decade-long run in the Yankees’ front office that saw Eppler promoted first to scouting director and then to assistant GM under Brian Cashman. The Angels hired Eppler as their general manager heading into the 2016 season, but was fired in September 2020 after the team failed to post a winning record in any of Eppler’s five seasons in charge. He then briefly explored a new career path running WME’s baseball representation division, but was only in that job for a few months before stepping down to take the Mets’ GM job.
Eppler’s seven seasons as a general manager saw his teams deliver a 508-523 record, with only the 2021 Mets finishing above the .500 mark. Despite the lack of results, it is still difficult to truly evaluate Eppler as an executive given the circumstances of both his jobs. Angels owner Arte Moreno is known to carry a heavy influence over his front office’s decisions, and the Halos’ string of losing seasons has continued even after Eppler’s departure. Eppler had more autonomy in New York, though Cohen’s desire to instantly make the Mets into a contender with no regard to payroll created its own set of unique pressures. Eppler also had to combat the perception (and perhaps even the reality) that was something of a placeholder GM, only brought in once the previous choices were fired in quick succession, and with Cohen ultimately always intending to hire Stearns or a bigger-name executive like Theo Epstein or Billy Beane.
While Eppler’s resignation appears to have caught the Mets somewhat off-guard, there may no ulterior motive beyond what Eppler expressed in his own statement. Having the former front office boss still in the organization as the second-in-command is an unusual situation, and it could be that Eppler had a change of heart after his first few weeks working under Stearns. Resigning now gives Eppler a jump on the offseason, perhaps for a fresh start with another club or for a job outside of front office work, given his past association with WME.
AL Notes: Red Sox, Showalter, Angels, Royals
Buck Showalter wants to keep managing, and is trying to get an interview with the Angels about their dugout vacancy, the New York Post’s Mike Puma reports (via X). It isn’t known if there is any mutual interest on the Halos’ side, though one would imagine the club would be open to at least having a chat with a veteran skipper with such a long and distinguished track record. Showalter’s managerial career has been marked by his ability to turn around struggling teams, which would seemingly have particular appeal to a Los Angeles club that has suffered through eight straight losing seasons. The position opened up earlier this week when the Angels officially parted ways with Phil Nevin — by coincidence, a former player of Showalter’s on the 2005-06 Rangers.
Showalter might have an extra edge if the Angels have trouble finding other top-tier candidates. “The job isn’t deemed attractive within the industry because GM Perry Minasian is entering the final year of his contract,” Puma writes, meaning that if a new general manager is hired next offseason, the incoming boss might want to make their own hire in the manager’s chair. However, there is also a significant connection between Showalter and Minasian, who worked for the Rangers from 2003-2009 as a scout and as Showalter’s staff assistant when skipper was managing in Texas.
More from around the American League….
- Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy discussed several topics during an appearance on the Fenway Rundown podcast with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, including the team’s reneweed emphasis on trying to sign younger, pre-arbitration players to contract extensions. Brayan Bello, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Triston Casas were specifically mentioned by Kennedy as the types of young players the Sox would like to lock up, though the CEO naturally didn’t provide details on whether or not the club had already broached the topic of extensions with any of the quartet. Chaim Bloom’s four-year tenure in charge of Boston’s front office didn’t see many extensions in general, with the notable exceptions of Rafael Devers‘ mega-deal and one of those aforementioned pre-arb pacts with Garrett Whitlock. Cotillo also reports that Bloom tried to sign an unnamed Sox top prospect to an extension before the player had even started his Major League career.
- The Royals plan to retain their coaching staff for 2024, general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters, though a couple of new faces could be added in new roles on an expanded staff. Though the Royals struggled through a miserable 106-loss season, they already underwent a significant coaching overhaul last winter after new manager Matt Quatraro was hired. K.C. apparently doesn’t want to make more changes just yet, though there could be some turnover if any coaches are approached for promotions on other teams.
NL East Notes: Castellanos, Marlins, Nationals
Miami native Nick Castellanos was heavily linked to the Marlins when he was a free agent during the 2021-22 offseason, and Castellanos told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb earlier this week that he very nearly agreed to join the team before the lockout halted winter business in early December 2021. “If I wasn’t advised to be patient and wait until after the lockout to sign, I would have been over there,” Castellanos said. Instead, the Marlins’ plans changed during the freeze, with some reports tying Derek Jeter‘s departure as club CEO to ownership’s decision to not expand the payroll quite so much once the lockout was settled. That meant Castellanos was now without his top suitor, until he signed with the Phillies for a five-year, $100MM deal.
Castellanos admitted that it took a while to get over the disappointment of not playing in his hometown, a “dream” scenario that would’ve allowed Castellanos to be near his son Liam at all times, and play for one of his baseball heroes in Jeter. This feeling may have contributed to Castellanos’ lackluster numbers for much of the 2022 season, but the Phillies’ run to the World Series reinvigorated him and the outfielder delivered a more productive season this year. “I can never sit and say I am unfortunate because I’m blessed and I get to play here,” he said. “I get to play for a great organization. I get to play with one of the most intense fan bases in the sports world. I have so much gratitude for all of that.”
More from around the NL East…
- The Marlins figure to be looking for catching upgrades this winter, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald looks at the free agent market to see what options the Fish might prefer to the Jacob Stallings/Nick Fortes combo. Jackson also feels the Marlins could consider trading prospects for a veteran backstop, but moving a proven pitcher “would be unwise” in Jackson’s view, due to Miami’s own concerns about its rotation depth. The Marlins got a combined -0.6 bWAR from their catchers in 2023, ranking 28th of 30 teams in catcher bWAR.
- The Nationals have continued to overhaul their front office and minor league staff personnel this week, most prominently parting ways with director of player development De Jon Watson, the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden (X links) reports. Watson has been the farm director for the last two seasons and a member of the Nationals’ organization since 2017. Before coming to D.C., Watson was an assistant GM with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks’ senior VP of baseball operations, among other roles with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Miami during a long career in scouting and player development roles. The Nats also made eight changes to their minor league coaching and coordinator ranks, with a particular focus on improving offensive development.
MLB Investigating Mets, Billy Eppler On Allegations Of Improper Injured-List Usage
Major League Baseball has a probe looking into allegations that the Mets made improper use of the injured list, according to Mike Puma, Joel Sherman, Jon Heyman, and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. The exact nature of the investigation and the specific allegations or players involved aren’t yet known at this time. Former Mets GM Billy Eppler (who stepped down from the job earlier today) is cooperating with the investigation, though he has yet to formally speak with league officials.
Eppler’s resignation was seen by many as a surprise, since by all appearances, he was fully ready to act as the front office’s new number two behind president of baseball operations David Stearns. As per the Post’s report, the league’s probe was the reason for Eppler’s departure, as he informed Mets upper management that he didn’t want to be a distraction to the club.
More will be known once more details of the league’s investigation surface, or when MLB announces (if any) its final findings. On the surface, improper uses of the injured list would simply seem to suggest that the Mets placed a player or players on the 10-day, 15-day or 60-day IL when they weren’t actually hurt, thus allowing the club to add a new player to the 26-man or 40-man rosters.
These kinds of “phantom IL” transactions have existed within the game for decades. A team might send a struggling player to the injured list with a harder-to-define issue like arm soreness or a bad back, when in reality the player is just getting a mental and physical break to reset. Every club in baseball has made such a move at some point, and in some cases, players have openly admitted that they aren’t actually hurt.
While this practice is technically illegal, it is also relatively widespread enough that it is rare to see MLB launch an official investigation into improper IL usage. That might suggest that the Mets’ alleged violation is particularly egregious, or (speculatively) that the league might have given the club an initial warning, and are now proceeding with a probe because Eppler’s front office didn’t stop.
Whatever the details, it amounts to “another embarrassing exit for a Mets official,” in the words of the New York Post’s writers. Within the last five years, former Mets GM Jared Porter and former manager Mickey Callaway were each accused of sexual harassment, with the Mets firing Porter and MLB putting Callaway (who had moved on from the Mets to work as the Angels’ pitching coach) on the ineligible list. As well, interim GM Zack Scott was fired when he was arrested on DWI charges, and ex-manager Carlos Beltran was fired due to his part in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, before Beltran had even officially managed a single game.
Improper IL placements aren’t nearly as serious as some of those off-the-field concerns, of course, but it is possible Eppler or the Mets might face some kind of penalty (suspensions, fines, etc.) as a result of the league’s investigation. The MLB Players Association might also have an issue, if the situation involves service time or perhaps just a player gaining an “injury-prone” reputation when none was warranted.