Ex-Angels GM Billy Eppler is becoming an agent

It wasn’t that long ago that Billy Eppler was a highly-rated front office figure in baseball. It seems now he’s given up on that line of work to move to the other side of the negotiating table.

Eppler, who was fired as Los Angeles Angels general manager in 2020, is joining William Morris Endeavor’s baseball agency, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.

Former Angels general manager Billy Eppler is joining William Morris Endeavor, sources said. WME has been actively looking to add a prominent name to its baseball agency and finally lands one.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) September 3, 2021

WME has been trying to grow its baseball practice in recent years, and appears to believe Eppler can help do so. It’s not clear whether he’ll directly represent players or take on some other role in the agency. It’s worth noting that he has no experience in that part of the industry, having risen in baseball as a scout before becoming GM of the Angels.

The New York Mets hired a prominent agent as GM in 2018, but that didn’t end well for him or the team. There’s not a lot of precedent for what Eppler is doing, which makes it all the more intriguing.