The Mets and Billy Eppler were finalizing a deal Monday night to make him their next general manager, ending a six-week search for the club’s top executive. Here’s how it played out, according to The Post’s reporting:
Oct. 6
Three days after the regular season ended, a top heavyweight candidate was crossed off the board. Theo Epstein and Steve Cohen had a talk about the president of baseball operations job and decided it was not the right fit.
Oct. 13
Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta told The Post’s Joel Sherman he would not be leaving his current post for the Mets’ job despite buzz surrounding him.
Oct. 18
The Mets got a double whammy as news broke on the same day that the club did not receive permission from the Brewers to interview David Stearns and that longtime A’s executive Billy Beane had removed himself from consideration.
Oct. 25
The Post reported that Giants GM Scott Harris had interviewed with the Mets but was unlikely to leave San Francisco.
Oct. 27
Another run of candidates gone by the wayside: Brewers GM Matt Arnold, Dodgers assistant GM Brandon Gomes, Cardinals GM Mike Girsch and Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro were all removed from the picture after the Mets had expressed interest in each. Gomes turned down an interview while the other three were denied permission to interview by their current teams.
Oct. 29
Dodgers assistant GM Jeff Kingston declined to be interviewed by the Mets for the position.
Nov. 1
The Mets fired acting GM Zack Scott, who had been on administrative leave for nearly two months following pleading not guilty to a DWI charge.
Nov. 2
Twins assistant GM Daniel Adler withdrew his name from consideration, citing his own inexperience as a barrier.
Nov. 3
Eppler first emerges as a target on the Mets’ radar.
Nov. 4
Red Sox executive vice president and assistant GM Raquel Ferreira spoke to Mets officials about their search but ultimately opted not to interview for the job.
Nov. 9
Former Nationals assistant GM Adam Cromie, who has been out of baseball since 2017 to work as an attorney, emerges as the front-runner for the job and meets in person, although separately, with both Sandy Alderson and Steve Cohen.
Nov. 15
The Mets offered the GM job to Eppler, their first known offer in the search, and hours later were finalizing the deal.