Mets News: Billy Eppler Officially Signs 4-Year Contract to Become General Manager

Billy Eppler signed a four-year contract to become the new general manager of the New York Mets, the team announced Thursday. 

He will now report to team president Sandy Alderson, who rejoined the organization last season in an administrative position before taking on a more active role on the baseball side.

Alderson praised Eppler in a statement:

"“Over the past two decades, Billy has been a scout and an assistant GM. He’s also more than familiar with the New York Market. This uniquely qualifies him to lead our efforts going forward. He’s smart, he hustles and has a keen eye for identifying talent. He’s going to make us better. I am really pleased that we have someone of his caliber leading the Mets.”"

Eppler previously spent time with the New York Yankees organization from 2004 to 2015, serving as assistant general manager at the end of his run in the Bronx. He was hired as the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels in October 2015 and held that position until 2020.

Eppler joins a Mets front office that has been in a state of turmoil over the past year. Former general manager Jared Porter was fired in January 2021, one month after he was hired, for sending explicit text messages to a female reporter. Acting general manager Zack Scott was then placed on administrative leave following a DWI charge in September.

The latest hire allows Alderson to return to his initial role overseeing the organization. 

On the field, the Mets spent much of last year in first place before a late-season collapse led to a final record of 77-85. It marked their fifth straight year without a playoff appearance.

The team announced in October that manager Luis Rojas would not return after it declined his third-year option.

The Mets must not only hire their third manager since the start of the 2018 season, but they also have tough personnel decisions to make as Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto and Javier Baez all explore the free-agent market.

It leaves Eppler with myriad decisions while trying to turn around an organization seeking its first championship since 1986.