Could Yankees’ Assistant GM Billy Eppler Be On Dodgers Radar?

The Yankees had to be jumping for joy when Tampa Bay Rays’ GM Andrew Friedman accepted a position in the National League as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations. The position is similar to what Tony LaRussa was hired to do in Arizona with the Diamondbacks, and what Theo Epstein has been doing with the Chicago Cubs since he left the Boston Red Sox a few seasons ago.

More from Yankees News

• Yankees chose worst possible player to ring in New Year on 2023 team calendar
• Yankees make upside play, sign former Rangers top prospect outfielder
• Michael Kay’s Anthony Volpe story will get Yankees fans amped for Opening Day
• No, Yankees should not acquire Trevor Bauer for 2023
• Yankees’ Marwin González replaces Red Sox LF in Japan in logical next step

Now that Tampa is in a state of flux, and Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti has been reassigned within the organization, one of the natural candidates for any open GM’s job has to be Yankees’ assistant GM, Billy Eppler. He has served under Brian Cashman for many years, learning the ins and outs of running an organization, and was the runner-up to A.J. Preller for the General Manager’s job in San Diego with the Padres.

The Dodgers might be a solid fit, as he would be reunited with former Yankees’ hitting coach and icon, Don Mattingly, who worked for Joe Torre towards the end of his run in the Bronx. Eppler, having seen Cashman spend money in droves, should also feel comfortable with the big market, mass media coverage, and the ownership pressure that comes with running one of the most celebrated franchises in big league history. Unlike the Yankees, the Dodgers aren’t left wondering how to fix a problem they thought they had solved. This is a team whose Achilles heel, was it’s bullpen, a problem that was blamed on Colletti and was most likely his undoing after the Dodgers crapped out in the Division Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s also a little ironic that Eppler, who could find himself in the driver’s seat with the Dodgers, could be in the market for an elite reliever, say David Robertson, to shore up and build a lockdown bullpen, one that could finally put the boys in blue over the top. Friedman and Eppler are considered two of the best young minds in the game, and together, could build a farm system in L.A., while maintaining large contracts and larger egos. Sounds like a Hollywood story doesn’t it?