Mets name Zack Scott acting GM
NEW YORK -- The Mets solidified their front office structure on Wednesday in the wake of Jared Porter’s firing, naming Zack Scott their acting general manager effective immediately.
Scott, 43, became the Mets’ assistant GM in December, following years working alongside Porter in Boston. Less than a month later, the Mets fired Porter after an ESPN report uncovered explicit text messages he sent to a female reporter while with the Cubs in 2016. Mets president Sandy Alderson said he would reevaluate the front office in the wake of Porter’s firing, but that he would continue to oversee all aspects of baseball operations himself.
Now, Alderson is delegating in a significant way, giving Scott an acting GM title.
“Zack has plenty of championship experience to draw upon,” Alderson said in a statement. “He has been an integral part of our decision-making processes since his arrival. The entire baseball operations staff, including myself, will continue to work collaboratively.”
That staff includes Alderson’s inner circle of Scott, senior vice president John Ricco, scouting heads Bryn Alderson and Tommy Tanous, baseball operations senior director Ian Levin, and analytics experts Ben Zauzmer and Joe Lefkowitz.
Scott spent 17 years in the Red Sox organization before joining the Mets. The last two of those were as an assistant general manager overseeing the club’s analytics, baseball systems and professional scouting departments. If he succeeds in his new role, Scott could eventually become the permanent GM.
“Being a part of the Mets' new culture and helping establish a consistent winner on the field that the Mets fan base deserves is something I will work towards tirelessly,” Scott said after the Mets announced his hiring in December.
Scott’s hiring rounded out a front office that has undergone significant change in recent months. Following Steve Cohen’s purchase of the team, the Mets hired Alderson to be team president. Alderson, in turn, dismissed GM Brodie Van Wagenen and four of his prominent staff members, including assistant GMs Allard Baird and Adam Guttridge. He subsequently hired Porter as GM, then fired him after less than two months on the job.