Acting GM Zack Scott put on leave
Move comes after he pleads not guilty to DUI
NEW YORK — Acting Mets general manager Zack Scott pleaded not guilty to a drunk driving charge in Westchester County (N.Y.), according to court filings.
Scott, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in the early hours on Tuesday morning, also pleaded not guilty to three other traffic violations.
He was arrested in White Plains after police found him asleep in his car at 4:15 a.m., cops say.
Hours after Scott’s court appearance, the GM was placed on administrative leave, the team said. Team president Sandy Alderson will replace him.
Alderson interviewed Scott and Jared Porter for the team’s vacant GM job before hiring Porter in
December. Porter was fired a month later after news broke that he had sexually harassed a reporter while a Cubs executive in 2016. The team elevated Scott from assistant GM but left “acting” in his title.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said Alderson’s son, Bryn Alderson, will also be more involved in the day-to-day responsibilities, while chiefly answering to his dad. Bryn Alderson was promoted to assistant GM in July alongside Ian Levin. The younger Alderson joined the Mets as a pro scout in 2011 and was promoted to assistant director of pro scouting in 2017 under then-GM Brodie Van Wagenen.
One source familiar with the new front-office hierarchy told the New York Daily News it will be an “all-hands on deck” situation and a “group responsibility.” Sources said Sandy Alderson has been advised to focus on baseball, shift
ing from his previous team president duties, for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The 73-year-old Alderson was the Mets’ GM from 2010 to 2018 before leaving because of a bout with cancer. When hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen bought the team last year, he had originally planned on hiring a president of baseball operations under Alderson.
Scott had left a fundraiser at Cohen’s Greenwich home about seven hours before his arrest.
On Thursday, he also pleaded not guilty to charges of disobeying a traffic control device, failing to change his address, and a no stopping/standing/parking on a highway violation, according to the court website.
Scott is suspended from driving in New York state.
“We were surprised and deeply disappointed to learn this morning about an alleged DUI involving Zack Scott,” the Mets had said in a statement on Wednesday. “We take this matter very seriously. Zack will not be traveling with the team for our upcoming road trip while we learn more and determine next steps.”
Scott’s next court appearance is currently scheduled for Oct. 7.