On December 23, it was announced that Red Sox Assistant General Manager Zack Scott would be joining the Mets in the same role.
While lateral moves are usually not allowed when transitioning from one front office to another, Scott moves from being one of a handful of assistant general managers in Boston to the clear No.2 in the Mets front office. Scott, one of the more qualified general managerial candidates in baseball, graduated from the University of Vermont in 1999 with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics.
Scott, 43, has been with Boston since he broke into professional baseball in 2004 when he joined the Red Sox as a Baseball Operations Intern and has been with the organization since. Scott has moved up the chain, going from intern to an assistant, to an assistant director, to director, to Vice President of Baseball Research and Development, to Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager, all the way to the position he served in this last season, Executive Vice President and Assistant General Manager.
Scott comes off the tree of executives to get their first gig under the legendary Theo Epstein. The Epstein tree is a lengthy one now, including: Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, and the man to which Scott directly reports, Jared Porter.
Scott makes the jump over after spending 16 seasons rising through the ranks in Boston, but never landing the top gig. Scott was rumored to be a candidate before the hiring of Chaim Bloom in 2019, but obviously lost out on the job.
When the Mets hired Zack Scott, new general manager Jared Porter said “I’ve known Zack for over 15 years, and worked with him daily for 10 of those years. He’s a strong leader who is a very creative and dynamic thinker. Zack is well rounded in all areas of baseball operations, and will promote synergy and collaboration among all of our departments with an emphasis on research and development.”
Porter and Scott, paired with the returning Tommy Tanous, create a new three headed monster in the Mets front office, the likes of which the Mets haven’t seen in quite some time. Scott focused mainly on analytics and systems in Boston, while Porter’s focus in Arizona was on major league talent and production. Tanous, one of the few returning members of the Mets front office, knows the Mets minor league system and talent better than anyone else. This trio is a far cry from the days of the interim general managership of JP Ricciardi, Jon Ricco, and Omar Minaya…all at once.
A duo of Scott and Porter paints hope for Mets fans. Gone are the days of the owner’s son playing boy genius on a limited budget, and salesmen trying to convince you that Michael Wacha puts the team over the top.
In are the days of qualified individuals who have worked their whole adult lives to try and reach the top. No longer will “Come Get Us” be uttered after trading two of the team’s best prospects for an aging second baseman and a closer.
Scott and Porter show a glimpse into an electrifying and prosperous future for the one time “Lovable Losers” in Queens. With the backing of a lifelong fan worth over $14 billion (it seems as absurd as it is when you type out the number), and one of the greatest executives of all time, who understands what it takes to thrive and win in New York, Scott can shine and receive the recognition he deserves as being one of the smartest and most effective executives in baseball.
Gone are the days of Jeff Wilpon running baseball operations with his family’s money. In are the days of baseball lifers, like Zack Scott, making the calls. Scott figures to become the general manager in New York in the coming years, assuming Jared Porter makes the jump to president of baseball operations in the same time frame. Scott, one would assume, will be given every chance to succeed in New York. Scott fits Steve Cohen’s desire of experienced executives who don’t have to “learn on his dime.”
Most importantly, Scott headed the Red Sox’s Analytics and Systems Department, something the Mets have barely had in recent years. Under a previous regime, that phrase might not even sound like English. Under a regime headed by Porter and Scott, the Mets will almost certainly make improvements and strive to become one of the smarter organizations in baseball. Scott headed a department of around 20 in Boston, and a department that was considered to be one of baseball’s best.
Cohen mentioned that one of his priorities was to “beef up” the Mets’ analytics department, and there’s few, if any, more qualified people in baseball to lead that charge for the team. The Mets’ analytics department was just three people heading into 2020, lead by former executive Adam Guttridge.
When talking analytics, Porter said “I believe analytics… is really a bridge-builder more than anything else. It should really bring the whole organization together.”
Scott has been working in the baseball operations department full-time for the last 15 season in Boston, a department that discovered the likes of undrafted outfielder Daniel Nava, developed David Ortiz, saw talent in Brock Holt while others didn’t, and resurrected the career of Nathan Eovaldi.
Scott is more than qualified to be running his own Baseball Operations department as a general manager. With almost two decades of experience, being a student of arguably the greatest general manager in this sport’s history, and a part of four World Championships.
