"I was devastated"- ex-Mets GM Jared Porter finally addresses his firing over texting scandal

Former New York Mets GM Jerry Porter has remained mum but has now spoken out publicly about the texting scandal that got him fired in January 2021. Speaking with USA Today Sports, Porter shared remorse about the impact that the incident had on him and the route he took to be accountable and to be healthy.
Jared Porter’s fall was as rapid as it was stunning after ESPN reported in January 2021 that he had sent more than 60 unanswered text messages — including sexually explicit images — to a female reporter while working for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. In the first weeks of his new role with the Mets, the scandal led to the organization immediately firing him.

“I was devastated,” Porter admitted to USA Today Sports. “I don’t blame them. (Mets) They didn’t have a choice. But I knew I had a choice. One way to let myself sink into the ground and do nothing. Two, I could get angry and take on the world. Or three, I could dive into my mental health.”
He acknowledged the gravity of his actions, stating, “I made the decision to send the text message that I sent, and I certainly shouldn’t have done it.” Mets owner Steve Cohen had made the organization’s stance clear, tweeting at the time that there would be "zero tolerance for this type of behavior."
After his firing, Porter felt it was time to get some help of his own. Following advice from a former colleague, he signed up for treatment at The Meadows, a rehabilitation center in Arizona that specializes in trauma and emotional well-being. “I literally went from trading for Francisco Lindor a few weeks earlier to being at an inpatient mental health institute where I wasn't allowed to have shoelaces in my shoes until I was deemed not to be a suicide threat,” he said.

In an attempt to heal and atone, Porter is one of the founders of Blend, a company dedicated to helping athletes with mental health at every level of competition. Though Major League Baseball kept him on ice through the end of the 2022 season, Porter has shuffled his focus from the diamond to advocacy, leveraging his experience to provide a platform to speak about the importance of mental wellness in high-pressure environments.
While his future in professional baseball remains unclear, Porter’s public reckoning, to many, is progress toward healing, personally and publicly.
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