Strong story today from Elliott Teaford on the relationship between Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Billy Eppler.
Eppler said he isn’t as interested in the day-to-day micromanagement of baseball decisions as he is being on top of contingencies farther down the road.
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Geovany Soto/Photo courtesy of BaseballReference.com
A day after catcher Chris Iannetta signed a 1-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, the Angels replaced him by signing catcher Geovany Soto to a 1-year contract.
The accord was announced by general manager Billy Eppler.
Soto, 32, has played 11 years in the big leagues. He has a career batting average of .246 with 101 home runs and 343 RBIs. However, he batted just .219 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 78 games and 187 at-bats in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox.
Soto was National League Rookie of the Year in 2008 with the Chicago Cubs, when he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs.
Mike Scioscia, left, and new general manager Billy Eppler at Monday’s news conference announcing the hiring of Eppler as general manager/Photo by Nick Ut, Associated Press
Owner Arte Moreno on Monday was helping play host to the news conference formally announcing the hiring of Billy Eppler as the team’s 12th general manager. Moreno was talking about the process and mentioned a moment when he, Eppler and other Angels executives were having dinner recently to discuss the job.
“He (Eppler) was a little nervous and he said, ‘I’ll just drink water.’ ” I said, ‘You better have a glass of wine,’ ” Moreno said, drawing lots of laughs from reporters and family members of Eppler.
Billy Eppler, left, has been named Angels general manager/Photo courtesy of New York Daily News
The Angels on Sunday night announced they have hired longtime New York Yankees executive Billy Eppler to become their general manager.
Bill Stoneman had been interim general manager after Jerry Dipoto resigned his post in early July after a beef with manager Mike Scioscia.
Eppler had been in the Yankees front office for 11 years, the past four as assistant general manager to general manager Brian Cashman. He also served as vice-president this season. Eppler, 40, is a native of San Diego.
Eppler becomes the 12th general manager in club history. He will report directly to owner Arte Moreno.
“We used a lot of time, energy and research into the decision to fill this very critical position,” Moreno said in a statement. “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 is stoked to get this opportunity.
“I cannot adequately express how excited I am for the opportunity Arte Moreno and the Angels have given me,” he said. “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 a tremendous amount of talent on and off the field, and I am excited to begin the next chapter of Angels baseball.”
The Angels’ season ended Sunday with a 9-2 loss at Texas. The Angels needed to win that game to force a one-game playoff Monday at Houston that would have decided the second wild-card team in the American League.
