The Los Angeles Angels have hired Billy Eppler as their next general manager, making it official at a news conference on Monday.
Billy Eppler, the assistant GM of the New York Yankees, will take over for Bill Stoneman, who had been serving as the interm general manager since Jerry Dipoto resigned on July 1.
“We used a lot of time, energy and research into this decision to fill this very critical position,” Angels owner Art Mereno said in a release. “We interviewed several quality individuals throughout the process.”
“In the end, Billy’s experience in the areas of scouting, player development and major league operations, in addition to his organizational and communication skills, were primary reasons for our decision. He is energetic, creative and has a tremendous passion for the game. We look forward to him joining the organization and making his impact felt in short order. “
Eppler had spent the past four years as the Yankees assistant general manager working under Brian Cashman, a promotion he received after being considered for the Angels GM position back in 2011, before the Angels hired Dipoto.
“He checks all the boxes,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “He’s got the analytics side checked off, he’s got the administrative side checked off, and he’s got the scoring side checked off. He’s got leadership side checked off because he’s a great communicator.”
“I cannot adequately express how excited I am for the opportunity Art Mereno and the Angels have given me,” Eppler said in a release. “The Angels are committed to championship standards. They are committed to being a perennial contender, and many of the pieces are already in place for that to occur.”
“I look forward to a collaborative effort as we look to enhance and advance every phase of the baseball operations department. This is an organization with tremendous amount of talent on and off the field, and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of Angels baseball. “
Before Eppler was the Yankees assistant general manager, he worked in the front office in various scouting and baseball operations going back to 2004.
Prior to joining the Yankees, Eppler spent five years working for the Colorado Rockies.
The Angels also interviewed three internal candidates, assistant general managers Matt Klentak and Scott Servais, and director of pro scouting Hal Morris.
Billy Eppler was considered the favorite from the beginning.
