The New York Mets are finalizing a deal to hire Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general manager Jared Porter as their general manager, according to a person familiar with the talks.
Porter won three World Series in the front office for the Boston Red Sox and another with the Chicago Cubs before joining Arizona as a senior vice president and assistant GM in 2017. He’s worked various roles in baseball operations, but his primary focus has been scouting. He was a director of pro scouting for Boston and Chicago.
The 41-year-old Porter will work under team president Sandy Alderson, who has taken charge of baseball operations under new owner Steve Cohen.
The Mets have already been aggressive following a 26-34 disappointment during the pandemic-shortened regular season. The club is closing in on a deal with free-agent catcher James McCann for $40 million over four years.
McCann was an All-Star with the White Sox in 2019 when he hit .273 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs. He batted .289 with seven homers and 15 RBIs for Chicago this year in 31 games while splitting time with Yasmani Grandal during the pandemic-shortened season.
New York also signed free agent reliever Trevor May last week to a $15.5 million, two-year deal — the first major transaction for the club since Cohen bought the team for $2.42 billion last month.
Porter inherits a team featuring a number of star players, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, and All-Star hitters Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto. Hard-throwing righty Noah Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery in March and is expected to return sometime during the 2021 season.
The 30-year-old McCann has improved behind the plate, as measured by defensive metrics, and is a steady presence with the bat. He played a key role in the development of White Sox ace Lucas Giolito.
McCann began his seven-year career in 2014 with Detroit and 118 games are the most he’s played in any season. He was regarded as the second-best catcher on the free agent market behind J.T. Realmuto.
