Watching the Texas Rangers try to go to their second straight World Series has to make Los Angeles Angels' owner Arte Moreno wonder what his Halos have to do to get over the hump in the American League West. However, before the Angels can make any moves this offseason, they need to have a front office in place to make those moves.
The Angels have been granted permission to interview a pair of Yankees executives, Billy Eppler and Damon Oppenheimer, for the Halos' vacant general manager position, per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Tony Reagins resigned his GM post on September 30, and assistants Ken Forsch and Gary Sutherland were dismissed three days later.
Eppler is the Senior Director of Pro Personnel for the Yankees, and works closely with Brian Cashman in New York.
Oppenheimer is the Yankees' Vice President of Amateur Scouting, and has been in charge of their drafts since 2005. Oppenheimer has drafted Brett Gardner, Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, among others. Oppenheimer was a catcher at USC.
Other potential candidates for the Angels, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, include Jerry DiPoto, the man who traded Dan Haren to the Angels in 2010 while interim GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gerry Hunsicker of the Tampa Bay Rays, Rick Hahn of the Chicago White Sox, and Thad Levine of the Rangers.
For more on Angels baseball, head to Halos Heaven.