Mets general manager Jared Porter’s standing with the team has landed on shaky ground following a report Monday night indicating he sent unsolicited texts and images to a female reporter in 2016, culminating with a shot of a n.a.ked, erect pen!s. Oh dear!
ESPN reported that Porter, then working for the Cubs, sent the woman a foreign correspondent who had moved to the U.S. to cover Major League Baseball 17 pictures in one burst. The first 15 photos were of a hotel and restaurants. The 16th was of a bulge in his pants and the 17th was a bare penis.
Porter acknowledged in the report he had texted with the woman, but initially said he had not sent any pictures of himself. Presented with more evidence by ESPN, he denied the explicit pictures were of himself, calling them “joke stock images” before declining further comment.
Porter, 41, was hired last month from the Diamondbacks as the Mets’ new GM under team president Sandy Alderson.
“I have spoken directly with Jared Porter regarding events that took place in 2016 of which we were made aware tonight for the first time,” Alderson said in a statement. “Jared has acknowledged to me his serious error in judgement, has taken responsibility for his conduct, has expressed remorse and has previously apologized for his actions.
“The Mets take these matters seriously, expect professional and ethical behavior from all of our employees and certainly do not condone the conduct described. … We will follow up as we review the facts regarding this serious issue.”
According to the ESPN report, Porter met the woman in an elevator at Yankee Stadium in June 2016 and they talked briefly — the only time they ever spoke.
The report said Porter soon began texting the woman and they corresponded sporadically before Porter sent the woman a selfie, to which she reciprocated. Porter responded “You’re gorgeous,” and asked her “Want more of me?” The pictures continued, with Porter sending a shot of himself on a bed with a bulge in the crotch area of his pants. Porter texted “Like?” To which she responded, “Yes … you are not married?” Porter said he wasn’t and asked if she would like to see more. According to the report he sent more than 60 texts over the next three weeks to which the woman never responded.
The woman, who has since left journalism, told ESPN through an interpreter she thought it would be awkward to say no to Porter’s questions and she didn’t totally understand what was occurring.
On July 20, 2016, according to the report, Porter sent pictures with one of the three World Series rings he received with the Red Sox. Then came two photos of a bulge in his shorts, with Porter asking if he was annoying her. The next day Porter texted “I want to see you.” His unanswered texts continued for the next two-plus weeks, according to the report, and on Aug. 9 he and the reporter were at Wrigley Field. Porter then texted the reporter saying he thought he had seen her in the ballpark and she was “so beautiful.” The reporter panicked, according to ESPN, and hid to avoid him.
Porter further texted the woman, saying he would soon be in Los Angeles “at the best hotel in America” and asked if she could meet him there. Porter subsequently sent the 17 photos, displaying the hotel and facilities, but included a shot of his pants with a bulge and then a photo of the naked, erect penis. Later, the woman says she received help in composing her first reply to Porter in weeks, calling his texts “offensive” and “inappropriate.” Porter apologized, according to the report and said he would stop.
According to the report, ESPN first knew about the pictures in 2017, but the woman wouldn’t speak about the situation until recently, agreeing to because Porter held a greater position of power and she wanted to prevent the incident from happening again.
