Billy Eppler is a candidate for Marlins President of Baseball Ops

[mmc]

 

[Stradling]

No surprise at all. @Inside Pitch any insight?

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

No surprise at all. @Inside Pitch any insight?

Other than the Marlins being run by people who trust processes -- nothing.   

[Redondo]

Didn't take long. 

[Lou]

20 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Other than the Marlins being run by people who trust processes -- nothing.   

Michael Hill agrees 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

Michael Hill agrees 

Hill was a holdover from the previous ownership, probably why he was let go.   Everything the Marlins have done in recent years is process driven, so much so that many felt they removed all human element from the equation.  

[Blarg]

Did Hill get a gift basket? 

[Second Base]

If Eppler is hired by Miami and the Angels hired Hill, I'd consider that a small victory. I obviously liked Eppler, but Michael Hill is quietly one of the best GM's in the business. The only reason I never brought his name up is because I thought there was zero chance Miami would get rid of him.

That would get a good trade off.

Hill is used to working with a meddlesome owner, but has built several waves of extremely talented Marlins teams that were traded away by Loria and he did it with practically no budget. You give him the reigns to the Angels and their budget and he could do some really exciting things. 

But I suppose, as IP hinted at before, he's more of a process driven guy and the Angels just fired one of those. But at the same time, process driven or not, it's hard to find any GM available for hiring with as much extensive experience in building quality homegrown teams.

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

But I suppose, as IP hinted at before, he's more of a process driven guy and the Angels just fired one of those. But at the same time, process driven or not, it's hard to find any GM available for hiring with as much extensive experience in building quality homegrown teams.

Pretty much every name that's been mentioned is a process driven guy -- if they continue on that path or hire any of the names that have been mentioned then it's just a case of Arte having lost confidence in Eppler and making a move as a result.  

To be honest, that's a better outcome than the Angels just deciding to go 100% old school. 

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Pretty much every name that's been mentioned is a process driven guy -- if they continue on that path or hire any of the names that have been mentioned then it's just a case of Arte having lost confidence in Eppler and making as a result.  

To be honest, that's a better outcome than the Angels just deciding to go 100% old school. 

I agree. It still stings though. Eppler was the process driven guy that convinced Trout to stay long term, brought in Ohtani and recognized value in hidden places pretty consistently with guys like Bud Norris, JC Ramirez, Hansel Robles and Dylan Bundy. 

Whatever process-driven guy they bring in to replace the other process driven guy is going to need to display some pretty serious team building skills. Eppler had his faults, but it feels like his strengths outweighed them. 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Second Base

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

Did Hill get a gift basket? 

And a self-portrait?

[Dtwncbad]

Does anyone really care at all where Billy Eppler works next?

Honestly? 

[Vlad27Trout27]

Not trying to ruin the fun here and all this hype about Hill....But, looking at the Marlin fan page, it seems clear that most and i mean most of the fans are happy that he's gone. That is always a red flag. 

Secondly i disagreed with signing him. yes he had/created one of the better outfields, but he's made his fair share of bad trades and moves. Trading Nick Anderson, Luis Castilli....etc 

I know people have said that their system his really good, and giving him credit. i disagreed, I would say that the reason it's improved his to Jeter and them having the abilty to trade 4 big peieces. 

Also for the past 17 years, they have only made the playoff onces, and that was this year. That's a dealbreaker, they had been a sub 560 team for the past 8 years since winning this year. 

 

My answer is no to hill! 17 years of missing the playoffs, you expect them to have a sloid farm sysetem year our year in, yet the past 10 years, outside of 4 years, they're farmsystem has been ranked 29th or 30th. So no thank you and pass! 

[Lou]

So the Marlins fired the black guy.

Interesting.

[Blarg]

Florida.

[Inside Pitch]

19 minutes ago, Lou said:

So the Marlins fired the black guy.

Interesting.

It was a double whammy...  He's Latino too, his mom is Cuban.

[Lou]

12 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

It was a double whammy...  He's Latino too, his mom is Cuban.

I think that's ok because Commie. 

[Jay]

So would that be a move up, or down, or lateral?

[Puget Sound Angel]

Talk about the perfect marriage of a basketcase GM and a basketcase franchise.

[stormngt]

4 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

Does anyone really care at all where Billy Eppler works next?

Honestly? 

I am curious

[NrM]

This new GM pick will be telling if Arte wants someone who can build a successful franchise from top to bottom or another lapdog GM.
If it's another younger first time GM that is looking to get his foot in the door, then I think there should be some reason for concern.

I suspect most seasoned GMs/Presidents with successful resumes probably want full control of baseball operations. 

[Inside Pitch]

3 hours ago, Puget Sound Angel said:

Talk about the perfect marriage of a basketcase GM and a basketcase franchise.

Oh please......as if there was a more dysfunctional basket case of a franchise in MLB than the Angels when Eppler took over.  Yet another thing Billy totally turned around and seemingly everyone glosses over.

[Stradling]

4 hours ago, NrM said:

This new GM pick will be telling if Arte wants someone who can build a successful franchise from top to bottom or another lapdog GM.
If it's another younger first time GM that is looking to get his foot in the door, then I think there should be some reason for concern.

I suspect most seasoned GMs/Presidents with successful resumes probably want full control of baseball operations. 

Every GM that was mentioned is a young GM.  Most young GMs are process guys.   You seem to think most young GMs are lap dogs.  Dombrowski is the only one mentioned (and not be Moroso) that is a seasoned GM, but in his last gig he wasn’t a process guy unless you think going for it all very quickly is a process. 

[NrM]

9 hours ago, Stradling said:

Every GM that was mentioned is a young GM.  Most young GMs are process guys.   You seem to think most young GMs are lap dogs.  Dombrowski is the only one mentioned (and not be Moroso) that is a seasoned GM, but in his last gig he wasn’t a process guy unless you think going for it all very quickly is a process. 

I don't have anything against young GMs. Front office personnel who have never held the position before is concerning to me, because it seems to indicate that Arte wants guys he can control. 

Reagins, Dipoto and Eppler were all rookie GM's. 

 

If Arte meddling isn't a concern for you, then the point is moot.

[Stradling]

11 minutes ago, NrM said:

I don't have anything against young GMs. Front office personnel who have never held the position before is concerning to me, because it seems to indicate that Arte wants guys he can control. 

Reagins, Dipoto and Eppler were all rookie GM's. 

 

If Arte meddling isn't a concern for you, then the point is moot.

My concern is process.  Arte will meddle no matter who is in charge.