The 5 best candidates to replace Billy Eppler as the Mets GM ranked

The New York Mets found themselves in the same week with the appointment of David Stearns as their new President of Baseball Operations and with the resignation of Billy Eppler as general manager in a surprise event. According to some sources, Eppler's unexpected resignation was due to an MLB investigation into the mishandling of players on the injured list.

Eppler arrived at the Mets in November 2021 and put together a roster that reached the postseason after winning 101 games, but then was part of one of the biggest disappointments in sports history by falling among the worst teams in baseball in 2023 after breaking the historical record for the highest payroll in baseball. The Mets need to replace Eppler and fill the position where these five candidates would be ideal.

5) The Mets can steal Ben Sestanovich from their arch-enemies, the Atlanta Braves

The front office of the Atlanta Braves has become a point of envy in the industry after the young and productive roster they have managed to assemble. Several talents have come from the Braves and have reached other organizations trying to replicate the organizational culture of the Braves, such as Dana Brown, current GM of the Houston Astros, and Perry Minasian, GM of the Los Angeles Angels.

Among the options still in the Braves' baseball operations department is Ben Sestanovich. Sestanovich came to the Braves after being the director of player development for the San Diego Padres.

The young baseball executive has managed to capture the attention of several MLB teams, who consider him a highly regarded piece. Sestanovich has been a positive influence in putting together part of the farm system of the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves, both of which have great potential.

Sestanovich was considered by the Mets in 2021 in their interview rounds for the organization's GM position. In this case, this executive could help Stearns consolidate the Mets organization for the future by providing his talent to achieve the sustainability of internal talent necessary to progress.

3) The St. Louis Cardinals have a top baseball executive that the Mets could recruit as GM before it's too late

The St. Louis Cardinals organization has distinguished itself by producing good players throughout its history. In the recent past, the talent that has emerged from the organization has positioned it as one of the best drafting players organization in all of MLB.

This process of knowing how to draft talent has been led by Randy Flores, a former player who was part of the St. Louis Cardinals' championship roster in 2006. Flores is currently the Cardinals' assistant GM and spent several years in the scouting department including the amateur draft. According to Fangraphs, during the years that Flores has been in charge of the Cardinals' drafts the results have been impressive given the fact that the Cardinals haven’t drafted higher than 18th overall under Flores’ watch; the team has uncovered several gems beyond the first round.

During Flores' management, the team managed to recruit talent such as Lars Nootbar, Nolan Gorman, Ryan Helsley, Jordan Hicks, Brandon Donovan, and Jordan Walker. This select group has managed to establish itself in the MLB and has still enormous potential to demonstrate.

Within the industry, the question of why Flores is not in charge of an organization's baseball operations does not cease. The Mets should take advantage of the momentum and offer Randy Flores the GM position to combine his talent with the guidance of David Stearns.

2) The Mets should prioritize a top prospect in baseball operations from the Arizona Diamondbacks

Many organizations have been improving their farm system through the development of talent. Among these, the Arizona Diamondbacks stand out for their recent existence in a roster full of youth.

The success of Mike Hazen, general manager of the Dbacks, has been greatly influenced by the presence and work of his Senior VP and assistant GM, Amiel Sawdaye. Sawdaye is one of the baseball executives with the highest overall rating with an impressive track record.

Sawdaye oversees the Dbacks' amateur and international scouting areas while also being Hazen's right-hand man in all actions related to baseball operations, making the organization one of the most sustainable, with at least four prospects in the top 100 each year since 2020. Sawdaye's resume is unknown to many, but it is still impressive, especially in his time with the Boston Red Sox.

During his tenure in Boston, Sawdaye was responsible for the drafts that brought players such as Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley, Matt Barnes, Travis Shaw, Brandon Workman, and none other than Mookie Betts.

There is no certainty that Amiel Sawdaye wants to put aside his relationship with Hazen anymore with a contract extension, but the Mets can change that story by offering a position of greater relevance in the sport. If Sawdaye agreed to work with the Mets, the team would be striking gold and turning its baseball operations area into a powerhouse in MLB.

1) The best fit for the Mets and David Stearns would be a former NASA engineer

If baseball has been migrating to an even greater process in terms of baseball analytics, Sig Mejdal represents the top profile in terms of the stereotype of an executive with great qualities. Before starting his baseball career, Mejdal worked as a biomathematician and mathematical modeler for NASA, until the book Moneyball by Michael Lewis sparked his interest in the sport.

Mejdal began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and became director of amateur draft analysis. During this time, the talented executive created a formula that helped predict the risk of injury in players, and his analysis was placed in a section in the Bill James Handbook.

His profile caught the attention of the Houston Astros, where he met David Stearns, and was hired as Director of Decision Sciences, using his knowledge to manage talent through data-driven analysis. His time with the Astros not only gave him industry recognition but his contribution transformed the Astros system completely.

The current assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles was taken into consideration in 2021 by the Mets as one of the candidates to occupy the position of GM of the organization. Mejdal serves as Mike Elias' right-hand man in the Orioles. They have made the organization the number-one farm system in baseball and the team with the most wins in the American League in 2023.

The ability of David Stearns, together with the analytical and mathematical intellect of Sig Mejdal, would be the perfect combination to execute Steve Cohen's goal of being a sustainable organization for the future. The Mets must try at any cost to get Mejdal and start transforming the organization immediately.