Mets try to move on from Porter
Assistant GM Scott expected to be promoted
The Mets are rolling up their sleeves and attempting to move on from their second offseason scandal in as many years, turning their attention to a new front-office structure without Jared Porter.
The former Mets GM was fired on Tuesday morning after an ESPN report revealed the 41year-old sent unsolicited texts and graphic images to a female foreign correspondent nearly five years ago. Team president Sandy Alderson first learned of the report on Monday, when Porter apologized without fully explaining his inappropriate behavior.
“Look, this is a wake-up call,” Alderson said in a press conference Tuesday. “It clearly suggests that something like this can be out there in connection with anyone.”
With pitchers and catchers scheduled to
report to spring training in less than a month, the team will not hire a replacement for Porter and move forward with the front-office group currently in place.
Assistant GM Zack Scott is expected to be promoted to fill Porter’s role. Scott had spent the past 17 seasons with the Red Sox, including overseeing their analytics and professional scouting departments. He worked alongside Porter in Boston for 10 years before the Mets hired him in December. Alderson said Tuesday he would more clearly
define the club’s top brass in the coming days.
“We’re on a certain trajectory, I think a successful one to this point,” Alderson said, pointing toward the Mets’ busy offseason that’s helped fill necessary holes on their roster. “While Jared presents a void, I’m very confident that the group that we have can move forward effectively.”
Besides Scott, former interim Mets GM and longtime senior VP of baseball operations John Ricco is one of Alderson’s trusted advisors in the current front-office structure. He represents another option to be elevated to the GM position. Alderson and Ricco worked together in the president’s previous stint as Mets GM from 2010-18. Ricco plays a broader role in baseball operations now; he’s part of the team’s eight-person daily baseball opps meetings.
Blue Jays: Toronto agreed to contracts with free agent pitchers Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Yates agreed to a $5.5 million, one-year deal with $4.5 million in potential performance bonuses. Chatwood agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with incentives that could take it to $5.5 million.
Astros: Outfielder Michael Brantley agreed to a $32 million, two-year contract with Houston, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Royals: Reliever Wade Davis is returning to Kansas City, the team he helped pitch to the 2015 World Series title. Davis and the Royals agreed to a minor league contract, and the 35-year-old right-hander will go to spring training trying to earn a spot on the major league roster. Davis is a three-time All-star who pitched the final out of the 2015 World Series.