New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler resigned Thursday, continuing an overhaul of the team's leadership with the recent hiring of president of baseball operations David Stearns and firing of manager Buck Showalter.

Eppler, 48, was expected to stay on, despite owner Steve Cohen officially handing control of the team's baseball operations department to Stearns this week.

"I wanted David to have a clean slate and that meant me stepping down," Eppler said in a statement.