Ex-Cubs Executive Admits Sending Inappropriate Messages During Time With Team

A former Chicago Cubs executive spoke about the inappropriate messages he sent to a journalist in 2016.

Feb 14, 2017; Talking Stick, AZ, USA; Jared Porter, Diamondbacks Senior Vice President and Assistant GM, watches pitchers on the mound during Spring Training at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 17, 2018. / Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

In January 2021, ESPN reported that Jared Porter, a former Chicago Cubs executive, had sent inappropriate text messages to a female journalist in 2016.

Porter, who was the New York Mets general manager, was fired by the Mets just 37 days after he was hired for the role in December 2021.

Porter, speaking about the situation for the first time, admitted his relationship with the reporter was "not appropriate" for many reasons.

When ESPN reported the news, he understood his life was about to change.

"It was an inappropriate relationship for a lot of reasons, you know, both for me personally and also, of course, with the reporter," Porter said on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast on Friday. "So I want to be very accountable about that as I talk through it. But, yeah, when the article first came out, you know, it's crazy, just a tremendous amount of fear, you know, shame. You know, there's some people I reached out to."

During his time with the Cubs, Porter served as the director of professional scouting.

He met the reporter while with Chicago and sent her repeated messages after she stopped responding.

His messages included a naked, sexual photo.

The woman wasn't too familiar with the English language, working as a foreign correspondent. She had recently moved to the United States to cover Major League Baseball.

Porter was hopeful of building New York's roster but didn't have much time to do so.

Nonetheless, he understood why he was fired.

"Look, I was really enjoying my time at the Mets, working with Sandy and Steve and the group they'd put together. You know, they gave me the opportunity to be a general manager, which was an incredible opportunity," he said.

Porter was treated as an outpatient at The Meadows facility in Scottsdale for eight or nine weeks, looking to improve his mental state.

Major League Baseball suspended him through the 2022 season, but he helped build a company named Blend, which works with youth, college, and professional athletes to improve mental health.