Mets' new GM excited by Cohen's title expectations

NEW YORK (AP) — Jared Porter knows his new boss with the Mets is counting on a championship.

Pretty soon, too.

That doesn’t bother him one bit.

“Hearing comments like that motivates me,” Porter said Monday after being introduced as New York’s general manager. “It shows a strong commitment from ownership who wants to win, who wants to put a winner on the field for the fan base in New York, and I completely align with that. It excites me. I want those expectations.”

In a news conference on Zoom that lasted nearly 50 minutes, Porter outlined his vision of emphasizing talent, flexibility, innovation and depth throughout a Mets organization in transformation under new owner Steve Cohen and president Sandy Alderson.

Cohen, a hugely successful hedge fund manager with an appetite for winning, bought the club last month from the Wilpon and Katz families for $2.42 billion. The lifelong Mets fan, finally calling shots for his favorite team, said it would be a disappointment if they don’t win the World Series within three to five years.

Tall talk for a franchise with two titles in 59 seasons of existence -- and none since 1986. Those type of lofty demands are more commonly associated with Yankees brass across town, while the stumbling Mets have slogged through nine losing seasons in the last 12.

Porter’s job is to help change all that.

“I think what we’ve talked about the most is just a cultural shift, for one. Adding good people to the organization. Improving on the organizational culture. Adding depth to the roster,” Porter said. “It’s really important to create a situation where you’re a really hard team to play against. You’re hard to game-plan against in all areas.”

It won’t be easy. New York went 26-34 during the pandemic-truncated...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Mets-new-GM-excited-by-Cohen-s-title-expectations-15801725.php