5 Mets moves that we already do or can thank Billy Eppler for in the future

The offseason is here, at least for the New York Mets, and change has already come to Flushing. David Stearns has been hired as the new President of Baseball Operations, and Billy Eppler is out as the team's general manager.

The move came as a surprise to most, as it was assumed that Eppler would be working under Stearns to usher in a new era of Mets baseball, but shortly after his resignation was announced, it came out that Eppler was under investigation by Major League Baseball for improper use of the injured list.

We can add that story to the long list entitled "That could only happen to the Mets," but if we dwelled on every LOLMets story that came out, we'd have no time for anything else. Instead, let's take a look back at some of the good things Eppler did during his time in New York.

1) Signing Kodai Senga

It's easy now, in the wake of a Cy Young-quality rookie season, to look back and say that signing Kodai Senga was a no-brainer, but the move was far from a sure thing. Many teams saw Senga's transition from Japan to the major leagues as a risky proposition, but Eppler went all-in to secure the righty's services.

Senga exceeded even the rosiest of expectations in his first year, establishing himself as a bonafide ace. His ghost fork pitch was arguably the single best pitch in the majors this year, and his control improved throughout the season.

Though skeptics worried early on that Senga wouldn't be able to handle a full starter's workload, he got stronger as the year went on, finishing with over 166 innings pitched and a 2.98 ERA.

Eppler handed Senga a five-year, $75 million contract that now looks like one of the best bargains in baseball. With Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander now gone (and incidentally, Senga outperformed them when they were in town anyway), Senga will enter 2024 as the Mets unquestioned ace and Opening Day starter.

3) Drafting Jett Williams

To say that the Mets have a spotty history in the draft is an understatement. Just one year removed from the public relations fiasco that was the Kumar Rocker selection, Eppler hitched his wagon to a Texas high schooler named Jett Williams with the 14th overall selection.

More than just having a badass name that will sound great on Sportscenter, Williams has proven already that he has the goods. The 19-year-old is a five-tool player, stealing 45 bases and raking 43 extra-base hits in 121 games this year, while also walking over 100 times and exhibiting the defensive versatility to play center field and shortstop.

Williams was even promoted to AA Binghamton in advance of the Rumble Ponies' playoff series against the Somerset Patriots, an impressive accomplishment for a player so young, but he has loftier goals in mind, telling SNY's Steve Gelbs that his goal is to reach the majors next year.

The Mets' farm system has been fortified greatly under Eppler and owner Steve Cohen, but even facing stiff competition from all levels of the organization, Williams still won the Mets 2023 Minor League Player of the Year award. Mets fans can't wait to see what the future brings for Williams, and they have Billy Eppler to thank.

4) Signing Brandon Nimmo in free agency

There is much fretting in Mets-land right now over the pending free agency of Pete Alonso. Not only is it nearly impossible to replace a player of Alonso's stature, but many Mets fans are probably envisioning one of the last times a fan favorite hit the open market, when Michael Conforto didn't return to New York, eventually taking a year off due to injury before signing with the San Francisco Giants.

Fortunately for Mets fans, Brandon Nimmo did return. Eppler signed the always-hustling center fielder last offseason to an eight-year, $162 million deal, likely making Nimmo a Met for life in the process.

Nimmo has spent his entire career in the Mets organization after being drafted by the team in 2011, and his all-around game has made him one of the best players to don a Mets uniform in the past decade.

Despite the team's lack of success this year, Nimmo was again his old reliable self, posting an .829 OPS at the top of the Mets lineup. Though there are some signs his defense in center field is regressing, the rise of prospects such as Drew Gilbert and Jett Williams will make it easy to shift Nimmo to a corner outfield spot.

Nimmo set career highs in home runs, RBIs, hits, and plate appearances this year, so for as good as he's been, there's obviously still room to grow. Mets fans will look back on Eppler's decision to re-sign Nimmo as a great one.

5) Signing Edwin Diaz to a five-year deal

There's a chance that Billy Eppler's signing of Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract ends up looking bad in retrospect, but even with the star closer's unforeseeable fluke injury that kept him out this past season, I don't think so.

Diaz was the best closer in baseball in 2022, a dominant force that propelled the Mets to a 101-win season on the back of his untouchable stuff. Featuring a fastball that can hit 100 mph and a wipeout slider, Diaz may be the one player in Mets history that fans are most confident of when he enters the game.

Much like Bears fans used to slide to the edge of their seats when Devin Hester was set to return a punt, every Diaz appearance is like a double espresso shot to Mets fans. The sight of Diaz running in from the bullpen to the wailing trumpets of Narco is worth the price of his contract alone.

Diaz has been hard at work rehabbing his injured knee, and there was a thought that he could have returned this year if the Mets were in contention during the stretch run. With another six months to prepare for next season, he should be back to his old self when Opening Day rolls around.

It would be easy to forget that Diaz's first season in New York was a bust. Many thought playing on the big stage was too much for the former Mariners closer, and the prevailing thought was that Seattle had stolen star prospect Jarred Kelenic from the Mets in exchange for Diaz and an over-the-hill Robinson Cano.

Five years after that deal, that sentiment has completely swung. Kelenic has been slow to find his footing in the majors, and though Cano washed out, earning a year-long suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs before being released last year, Diaz has single-handedly won the trade for New York.

One need only look to this season to see how much Diaz means to the Mets. Without him, the bullpen nosedived, and the team won 26 fewer games, falling far short of the playoffs. His return next year will have Mets fans believing again.

Billy Eppler's legacy as Mets GM is a complicated one, especially in light of the current MLB investigation. However that turns out, though, these moves will make sure that history is kind to him in the end.