Mets360 - Jared Porter and the neuterization of the Mets’ GM job

 

By Brian Joura December 13, 2020

Yesterday was a big day in Mets land. First, they addressed a big hole in the roster by signing free agent catcher James McCann to a four-year deal. Next, they filled their open GM position, hiring Jared Porter, who had held a bunch of different positions in MLB, with his most-recent gig being the assistant GM for the Diamondbacks. The McCann deal had been expected for awhile. We knew the club was searching for a GM but it seems to me there was nowhere near the excitement there was for either the McCann signing or the last time the club named a new GM.

Back in late 2018, there was all kinds of speculation about who the new GM was going to be. It was an emotional roller coaster, as we heard leading names remove themselves from the process and guys like Dave Littlefield being seriously considered, despite his lousy results with the Pirates. Ultimately, it came down to three candidates. There was the old pro in Doug Melvin, there was the young hot shot in Chaim Bloom and there was the wild card with Brodie Van Wagenen. It seemed like we discussed and debated the candidates for a long time.

This time around there’s been a lot of talk in the mainstream media about the candidates, although it seems like most of it was how the preferred guys weren’t being given permission to interview by their current teams. But it hasn’t seemed to capture the imagination of the fans and bloggers like it did two years ago. Maybe that’s not an accurate characterization. Perhaps a better way to frame it is that it didn’t capture my imagination.

But while most of the articles at the site come from this keyboard, there are about a dozen other fans who write here – and none of them felt the need to post a column on the potential executives who would shape the direction of the franchise. And that seems both curious and relevant. Why was the new GM such a big deal in 2018 and almost an afterthought in 2020?

Obviously, the big difference is in ownership. In 2018, the new GM was going to have to come in and handle the dysfunction of the Wilpons, their management style and their cash flow problems. Speculation was that former GM Sandy Alderson never knew how much payroll was going to be available at any point in time. The job is hard enough under the best of circumstances. And no one would confuse working for the Wilpons to be the best gig on the planet.

Continue reading by clicking here.