Mets general manager Jared Porter at the team could be on shaky ground after a report late Monday indicating that he sent unsolicited texts and images to a female reporter in 2016, culminating in a recording of a naked , erect penis.
ESPN reported that Porter, who then worked for the Cubs, had sent the woman – a foreign correspondent who had moved to the US to beat Major League Baseball – 17 photos. The first 15 photos were of a hotel and restaurants. The 16th was from a bump in his pants and the 17th was from a bare penis.
Porter acknowledged to ESPN that he texted the woman, but initially said he had not sent any photos of himself. When he got more evidence, he denied that the explicit images were his own and called them ‘joke stock images’.
Porter, 41, was hired from the Diamondbacks last month as the new GM of the Mets under team chairman Sandy Alderson.
“I spoke directly with Jared Porter about events that took place in 2016 that we were first informed of tonight,” Alderson said in a statement Monday evening. “Jared has admitted to me his grave error of judgment, taken responsibility for his behavior, expressed regret and previously apologized for his actions.
“The Mets take these matters seriously, expect professional and ethical behavior from all our employees, and certainly do not endorse the behaviors described … We will follow up as we review the facts about this serious issue.”
According to the ESPN report, Porter met the woman in an elevator at Yankee Stadium in June 2016 and they spoke briefly – the only time they ever spoke.