On the morning of October 30, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced his retirement after two decades in charge. The team is set to make a change at the top with Billy Eppler eventually hired. He will be tasked to build success through free agency while also building up prospects within New York’s farm system.,
The “Incoming New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler tasked with building contender through free agency” is a story about the new Mets GM. He has been given the task of rebuilding the team that was once one of baseball’s most successful franchises.
NEW YORK (WABC) — The new general manager of the New York Mets, Billy Eppler, was presented, and the team’s goals for the winter were made known.
They intend to spend a significant amount of money on free agents.
Mets owner Steve Cohen made his desire to build a postseason contender clear on Monday, introducing his third general manager since the start of the 2021 calendar year, after the team fired interim general manager Zack Scott after a DWI arrest and fired Jared Porter for sending explicit text messages to a reporter. Due to the lack of depth in the organization’s farm system, Cohen believes the team will have to spend money or make moves.
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Cohen said, “We want to win our division, be in the playoffs, and win in the playoffs.” “So, you know, we’ve got to put together a squad that can accomplish that. I’ve told Billy and Sandy that they can have anything they want, and I’m open to their ideas and suggestions, as long as the aim is to have a competitive squad on the field.”
After losing ace Jacob deGrom to an elbow injury, the Mets fell during the course of the 2021 season, holding first place for 103 days but ending 77-85 and missing the playoffs over the last two months of the season. The Braves and Phillies finally overtook the Yankees in the division, with Atlanta winning the World Series in the end.
Eppler said that his primary objective upon taking the job would be to rebuild the team’s rotation, which lost free-agent pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Los Angeles Angels on a one-year, $21 million deal.
Eppler said, “We’re going to have some resources behind us.” “We had one guy, Noah, who signed someplace else, and we simply want to add to our total depth. We’re going to entertain in the outfield and in the infield.”
After firing Luis Rojas at the end of the season, Eppler will have to find a new manager. Eppler said he’ll discuss the best method for choosing a skipper with the baseball operations department, considering the variables of in-game management, analytical approach, and clubhouse culture formation.
“I’m going to start that process this afternoon,” Eppler added. “I have an opinion on it, but I’d prefer hold off on finding out what that criteria is for the time being since I want the group to participate.”
Eppler worked with the Angels from 2015 to 2020, a team with its own cultural issues. Federal prosecutors accused former Angels communication director Eric Kay with criminal distribution charges after pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an opiate overdose. After violating the league’s sexual harassment regulations, the Angels dismissed pitching coach Mickey Callaway, whom they hired in 2020.
Cohen said that the group completed a thorough background investigation on Eppler before employing him.
“We vetted it in a variety of ways,” Cohen said. “We talked to a number of individuals who were around the organization at the time, and we spoke to folks inside baseball.” “We have a lot of faith in Billy’s decision-making, ethics, and honesty.”
The Callaway issue, according to Eppler, changed his screening procedure for job prospects.
“The industry as a whole has refined its screening process,” Eppler added. “As a result, we have more resources…. I’m afraid I don’t have anything more particular to say today.”
Sandy Alderson, the president of the New York Mets, has said that he will not be involved in baseball operations decision-making.
“I anticipate Billy leading this effort, and I will be available as a resource,” Alderson added. “As time goes on, I anticipate Billy to have more flexibility than he has now, but I expect that liberty to grow and my responsibility to shrink.”
During Eppler’s career with the Angels, his clubs failed to reach the playoffs, and he hopes that pattern will not continue in New York.
“We had a great opportunity to overcome Houston in ’17, ’18, and ’19,” Eppler said. “We erred on the side of caution since we didn’t want to put the organization under too much strain in the long run. Many of the free-agent agreements fell through. The significance of depth is my main takeaway. That is my main takeaway.”
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