The MLB has suspended the New York Mets’ general manager for the 2024 season for undisclosed reasons.
In October 2023, Billy Eppler, the General Manager of the New York Mets, resigned from his position two years into his tenure, despite having two years left on his contract.
Initially, reports suggested his resignation was related to a league inquiry into misconduct concerning player injury lists. Recently, more information has surfaced regarding Eppler’s actions and the league’s response.
According to ESPN, Major League Baseball has suspended Eppler until the end of this year’s World Series. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s statement accused Eppler of intentionally falsifying injury reports during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, purportedly to create more roster flexibility for the Mets.
Eppler, as reported by ESPN, stated that he had cooperated with the league’s investigation. The Mets, in their own statement, addressed the league’s decision, indicating that with Eppler’s resignation and David Stearns now leading Baseball Operations, they consider the matter resolved and will refrain from further comment.
In an evaluation of the league’s disciplinary action against Eppler, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic highlighted that the conduct for which Eppler faced suspension is thought to be prevalent across the league.
Rosenthal suggested that the commissioner aimed to establish a precedent, with Eppler being a convenient subject for such action. This raises the question: will the league’s response to roster manipulation prompt broad reform, or might another executive face even more severe consequences soon?
