UPDATE: Manager Mike Scioscia also said today that he will not exercise his opt-out clause this offseason, according to Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register.
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The 2015 MLB season ended yesterday for a majority of teams, which means it's back to the drawing board for those who missed the playoffs. The Los Angeles Angels are one of those clubs, and they wasted no time in hiring a new general manager.
New York Yankees assistant general manager and vice president Billy Eppler will become the Angels' next general manager, the team announced on Sunday.
Rumors and speculation have indicated Eppler was a frontrunner for the job in Los Angeles for quite some time now. Former Angels' GM Jerry Dipoto resigned from his position in July and Bill Stoneman took over on an interim basis. Eppler was always believed to be a top candidate because he was a finalist for the GM job with the Angels back in 2011 when they hired Dipoto.
"Angels' owner Arte Moreno is unpredictable, so it's risky to make any pronouncements about his GM opening," FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal said over the weekend. "Still, the Yankees continue to believe privately that their assistant GM Billy Eppler will get the job."
Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com had the scoop yesterday.
Eppler became the 12th general manager in the Angels' franchise history.
"We used a lot of time, energy and research into the decision to fill this very critical position," Moreno said in a statement, via Gonzalez. "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."
"I cannot adequately express how excited I am for the opportunity Arte Moreno and the Angels have given me," Eppler added. "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."
Eppler, who has been the right-hand man for Yankees' GM Brian Cashman, spent 12 years with New York as the team's assistant director of baseball operations, director of professional scouting, senior director of professional personnel, assistant general manager and vice president.
The Angels also interviewed a number of other notable candidates, including Josh Byrnes (LAD), Mike Hazen (BOS), Tony LaCava (TOR), Ross Atkins (CLE), Thad Levine (TEX) and Chris Gwynn (SEA) as well as internal personnel Hal Morris, Scott Servais and Matt Klentak.
