Angels Part Ways With GM Billy Eppler After Five Seasons

The Angels finished with a losing record in each of Eppler's five seasons at the helm.

Minutes after the team's loss in the season finale against the Dodgers on Sunday, the Angels announced they would not retain general manager Billy Eppler. Eppler had led the franchise's front office for the past five seasons.

Angels to seek new General Manager for the 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/Jop9YZtr0q

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) September 27, 2020

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the news of Eppler's firing, speculating that team owner Arte Moreno could look to Dave Dombrowski as a potential replacement. Dombrowski has previously worked as the head of baseball operations for the Expos, Marlins, Tigers and Red Sox, winning World Series titles with the Marlins in 1997 and Boston in 2018.

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Eppler's original contract was set to expire after the 2020 season, but the Angels had given him a one-year extension through 2021 that was never announced, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

Since taking over ownership of the franchise in 2003, Moreno has hired three GMs, none of whom had previous experience heading a front office: Tony Reagins, Jerry DiPoto and Eppler. Hiring Dombrowski would represent a change in philosophy for that role.

The Angels suffered five consecutive losing seasons under Eppler's reign, the second-longest such streak in franchise history. Eppler has been credited with bolstering the team's floundering farm system, which was unanimously ranked among the league's worst at the time of his hiring and has since received more positive reviews. He was able to sign three-time MVP Mike Trout to a contract extension in 2019 that keeps Trout under contract through 2030. Other highlights include landing Anthony Rendon this past offseason, winning the league-wide recruiting battle for Shohei Ohtani and trading for Andrelton Simmons in 2016.

But the Angels have been unable to develop consistent pitching during Eppler's tenure, and the club's inability to reach the postseason is viewed as a waste of Trout's prime years. Under Moreno's ownership, the Angels have been reluctant to tear down and rebuild, so the next GM could embrace a similar win-now approach.