When Billy Eppler gets to work as general manager of the Mets (and, as previously reported, that is expected to happen, per multiple league sources), he will do so as the fully empowered head of baseball operations.
Eppler will have final say on baseball matters, sources said.
The dynamic will be similar to where the team ended up last season with former acting GM Zack Scott.
At first, team president Sandy Alderson had a heavier hand in the department, because Scott was learning the top job. But as time passed, Alderson stepped back as Scott made roster decisions and took charge of the day-to-day.
Because Eppler has already spent five years as a general manager, he will begin with an even more immediate knowledge of how to oversee multiple departments, from amateur and international scouting to analytics to pro scouting.
He will be able to hit the ground running as the Mets’ boss of baseball, and as such, will be fully empowered to do so.
Of course, most top baseball executives work in varying levels of collaboration with the owner, and this will be no different. One of the reasons Eppler is getting the job was a strong meeting over the weekend with Steve Cohen, which both left with a sense that they could work together.