Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that the league has placed former Mets general manager Jared Porter on the ineligible list, a punishment that will continue at least through the 2022 season. The decision stems from a months-long investigation into Porter for sending explicit, unsolicited text message images to a female reporter.
Here's commissioner Rob Manfred's statement:
My office has completed its investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct by Jared Porter. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Porter violated MLB's policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted. We are committed to providing an appropriate work environment consistent with our values for all those involved in our game.
Porter, 41, was hired by the Mets in December 2020 as the club's new general manager. In January, it was revealed that in 2016 while Porter was with the Chicago Cubs as the director of pro scouting, he had sent unsolicited sexually explicit images and lewd text messages to a female journalist.
Porter sent a string of 62 consecutive unanswered text messages to the woman, the final being an explicit photo of his privates. The unidentified woman was a foreign correspondent living in the United States to cover baseball, and she has since decided to leave the industry (she called Porter's actions a "tipping point" for that decision). The Mets fired Porter from the position shortly thereafter.
Mets president of baseball operations Sandy Alderson described the scandal as a "wake-up call." When Alderson was asked about the vetting process of hiring Porter, he noted that they heard nothing but good reviews about Porter's character, though later he was asked if they consulted any women and he said they did not.
David Samson discussed Porter's punishment on Thursday's Nothing Personal with David Samson. Listen below:
Porter's punishment is the same MLB handed to former Angels pitching coach and Mets manager Mickey Callaway back in May. Callaway was also placed on the ineligible list through the 2022 season following the investigation into allegations of a years-long pattern of sexual harassment toward at least five women who work in sports media.
This past April, a new report about the Mets' "toxic workplace" detailed how complaints of inappropriate conduct went ignored. MLB has updated its policies on sexual harassment and workplace discrimination in its code of conduct following the Callaway and Porter allegations.
