The Mets’ turbulent offseason continued on the day pitchers and catchers were slated to report to spring training camp in Port St. Lucie.
The latest blow comes in a new report from The Athletic Wednesday that detailed how the embattled organization “quietly parted ways” last month with Ryan Ellis over accusations from three women dating back to 2018 that they were sexual harassed by the team’s hitting performance coordinator.
The three women — who worked or had previously worked for the Mets — came forward in the summer of 2018 to complain to human resources about Ellis’ behavior, according to the report.
One employee told The Athletic that she reported to human resources that Ellis told her “I stare at your ass all the time. If only I could have 15 minutes alone with you.” Another woman revealed she received “persistent, unwanted text messages from Ellis that were sexual in nature” for months after ending a brief sexual relationship with him the year before. A third woman reported that Ellis made “sexually suggestive comments to her and other low-level female employees.”
All three said they spoke with Aubrey Wechsler, who was then the Mets’ employee relations manager. She now serves as the Mets’ director of employee engagement.
As for why he was only just fired now, the Mets told The Athletic the decision was based on “new information.”
“On January 19 of this year, following the termination of Jared Porter, we received new information regarding conduct of the disciplined employee in the 2017-2018 timeframe,” the team wrote in a statement to The Athletic. “We immediately commenced a new investigation and terminated the employee on January 22 for violating company policy and failure to meet the Mets’ standards for professionalism and personal conduct.”
The news of Ellis’ departure comes after the Mets fired newly-hired general manager Jared Porter in January after an ESPN report revealed that he has sexual harassed a female reporter in 2016 while a member of the Cubs organization. Porter had sent unsolicited texts and photos — including an image of an erect penis (which he claimed was just a “stock image”) — to the international reporter. Porter had been hired by the Mets in December.
At the time of Porter’s firing, new Mets owner Steve Cohen said the organization had “zero tolerance for this type of behavior.”
Then earlier this month, Mickey Callaway was suspended by the Angels after The Athletic reported that he had harassed women covering the Mets during his two-year stint as manager of the team. Callaway, who is accused of sending unsolicited and unwanted sexual messages to five women, remains suspended from his gig as the Angels pitching coach while the team and MLB conducts an investigation.
Both Porter and Callaway were hired by Sandy Alderson. Alderson hired Callaway when he was the Mets’ GM. He returned to the organization after Cohen bought the team in November to serve as team president.
In response to The Athletic’s latest reporting, the Mets said they had disciplined Ellis after a team investigation over the 2018 allegations. He was put on probation and had to undergo counseling, per the report.
Ellis, 42, had been with the Mets since 2006. Last season he served as the team’s major league hitting coordinator.
