Los Angeles Angels finally part ways with Billy Eppler
Billy Eppler had been the Los Angeles Angels GM since 2016
The Los Angeles Angels announced Sunday that general manager Billy Eppler will be replaced.
Eppler, 45, has run the Angels since being appointed to the position following the conclusion of the 2015 regular season. He had signed a one-year extension of his original five-year contract in July.
Angels President John Carpino delivered the news in a succinct statement. “The Angels organization would like to thank Billy for his dedication and work ethic over the last five years,” he wrote, adding, “We wish him and his family all the best.”
Eppler’s management of the Angels was marked by major spending initiatives that did not produce on-field success. The Angels never finished above .500 during Eppler’s tenure.
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That was despite Eppler being one of the most aggressive talent hunters of recent years. Prior to the 2018 season, he signed Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani to both pitch and DH. This past winter he signed Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245 million contract.
During Eppler’s tenure, the opening day payroll rose from $146 million in 2015 to the equivalent of more than $193 million in this COVID-impacted season.
What Eppler was never able to do was develop a pitching staff that could match the Angels’ offensive production. During his tenure, the staff ERA never dropped below 4.15, and three times ranked 12th or worse in the AL. That included 5.12 and 5.10 ERAs in Eppler’s final two seasons.
Through the conclusion of the 2019 season, the cumulative short-term impact of all of Eppler’s personnel moves — as measured by Wins Above Average — was -10.6 games. Those moves never improved the Angels by as much as one game in the AL standings.
It all amounted to a waste of the Angels’ obvious offensive skills, notably Mike Trout. A two-time MVP and annual All Star during Eppler’s time, Trout led the AL four times in both on base average and OPS+, but never played a post-season game after 2014. That was two seasons before Eppler’s arrival.
Eppler gave Trout a $426.5 million extension, through 2030, prior to the 2019 season.
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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno hired Eppler away from the New York Yankees, where he had been an assistant GM in charge of professional personnel. He is a 1998 graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in finance.