The Los Angeles Angels will name former Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler general manager tomorrow, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday evening.
The Angels have been in pursuit of a general manager since Jerry Dipoto resigned from his post on July 1, 2015. The resignation followed a long-term tension between him and manager Mike Scioscia on the usage of in-game analytics. Los Angeles replaced Dipoto with Bill Stoneman, who they named interim general manager. Stoneman had to work with a team in contention and attempted to provide the pieces they needed to make a postseason run. The Angels were eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday in a 9-2 loss to the Rangers. They finished the season with an 85-77 record and third in the American League West division. Eppler has been mentioned as a possible candidate for many GM openings, including the Seattle Mariners' recent opening, which has since been filled by Dipoto. The 40-year-old Eppler was thought of by many around the game as a future general manager. In fact, Eppler interviewed for the Angels' GM job back in 2011, where he was named one of the finalists. The job ultimately went to Dipoto. Eppler has been working in the front office side baseball since 2000. He is generally considered to be "well-versed" in the statistics and analytics of the game. Eppler and Dodgers executive Josh Byrnes were considered to be the finalists for the position. --Devan Fink
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Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price will return to his position for the 2016 season, general manager Walt Jocketty announced to reporters, including the Cincinnati Inquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans on Saturday.
The second year manager Price has been under a lot of scrutiny from Reds fans. This has included an expletive-ridden rant against reporters earlier in the year, as well as poor play from the team overall. The Reds have underperformed expectations thus far this season, going 63-97 at the time of this writing. They are currently on a 13-game losing streak which could end up leading them to the No. 1 overall pick in next year's MLB Draft. Price has been the Reds manager since 2013, when he was promoted from pitching coach in October of that year. Over the past two years with Price at the helm, the Reds have fallen apart, finishing second-to-last and last in the National League Central. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the Reds would be bringing back Price in 2016. --Devan Fink
Mike Leake might not be the flashiest starting pitcher on the 2016 free agent market, especially with the likes of Jordan Zimmermann, David Price, and Zack Grienke out there, but he might be the one that provides the biggest, most unheralded impact.
The Giants, who traded for Leake from the Reds over the summer, have already reportedly shown interest in Leake's services for 2016 and beyond. Today, however, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Diamondbacks will also show interest in the right-hander when he becomes a free agent this fall. Leake was acquired midway through the season to try and give the Giants a playoff push. That has since been spoiled; the Dodgers won the National League West and the Giants could not catch either the Pirates or the Cubs in the Wild Card race. Regardless, the 27-year-old Leake has been a solid addition, going 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 55 1/3 innings pitched, posting a 29 to 13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. On the year in full, Leake's turned in his third consecutive sub-4.00 ERA season, working to a 3.70 ERA over 192 innings with the Reds and Giants. For Leake, what you see is what you get. He's going to throw 180 to 200 innings and give you solid results. That's what makes his next contract a hard one to truly pinpoint. Considering his age, it wouldn't be hard to see Leake sign a contract in the James Shields four-year, $75 million range. The Diamondbacks represent an interesting suitor for Leake. The team has a youthful and somewhat inexperienced rotation featuring Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray, and Rubby De La Rosa, among others. Adding Leake would represent an experienced veteran to help lead the staff into the future as the team starts to build itself back to contention. --Devan Fink |
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