New York Mets sack general manager Jared Porter over inappropriate texts to female reporter
Jared Porter's actions "failed to meet the Mets' standards for professionalism and personal conduct", said team president Sandy Alderson; Porter had acknowledged making a "serious error in judgment"; Mets hired the 41-year-old Porter last month
Tuesday 19 January 2021 16:33, UK
The New York Mets have sacked general manager Jared Porter for sending unsolicited, inappropriate text messages to a female reporter.
Mets owner Steven Cohen confirmed Porter's contract had been terminated in a statement on Twitter, in which he spoke of "the importance of integrity".
"There should be zero tolerance for this type of behaviour," Cohen said.
The Mets had said in an earlier statement that they were internally reviewing the incident, with team president Sandy Alderson confirming that Porter had acknowledged making a "serious error in judgment".
Later, Alderson said in a written statement that Porter's actions "failed to meet the Mets' standards for professionalism and personal conduct".
ESPN reported on Monday night that Porter sent explicit, unsolicited texts and images to the reporter while he was the director of professional scouting for the Chicago Cubs, citing a copy of the text history it had obtained.
The Mets, who are in the eastern division of Major League Baseball's National League, confirmed Porter's dismissal on their website.
"The Mets terminated general manager Jared Porter on Tuesday morning, hours after an ESPN report was posted Monday night about a 2016 incident in which Porter sent inappropriate text messages to a female reporter," the team said.
Porter, 41, joined the Mets in December. The team has not yet announced his replacement.
