Michael Conforto is the top free agent remaining on the market and the lone qualifying offer recipient who remains unsigned. We’re now less than two weeks from Opening Day, and it’s still difficult to glean just where Conforto might sign. And, as ESPN’s Buster Olney points out, Conforto will have a hard time following the path of some other QO recipients who waited things out and took a midseason deal. Dallas Keuchel, Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew, for instance, all waited to sign until after the draft had passed, thus freeing them from the burden of draft-pick compensation. That tactic already caused a player to sit out two months of the season, but with the draft now pushed back to mid-July, it’s an even less palatable approach for Conforto to take.
There’s been some talk of a potential reunion with his old team, but Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported yesterday evening that returning to the Mets is “extremely unlikely,” citing multiple sources close to the situation. With Starling Marte and Mark Canha joining Brandon Nimmo in the outfield, plus holdover infield/outfield bats like Dominic Smith and J.D. Davis still in the fold, at-bats for Conforto would be hard to come by — even with the designated hitter now in the National League.
Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, meanwhile, writes that the Blue Jays have “checked in” on Conforto, though perhaps only as a means of due diligence. The Jays have been looking for left-handed hitting to help balance a right-leaning lineup, and yesterday’s trade with the Rockies, swapping outfielders Randal Grichuk and Raimel Tapia, was a step toward that end. There’s arguably still a fit for Conforto in Toronto, as the Jays could cycle him, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez through the outfield and designated hitter spots in the lineup. However, GM Ross Atkins also threw some cold water on the idea of another big-ticket addition, telling reporters yesterday that it’s “getting harder for us to continue to add from a resource standpoint and from a flexibility standpoint” (Twitter link via TSN’s Scott Mitchell).
The Guardians have been an oft-cited fit for Conforto, due both to the team’s paltry $56MM payroll and a generally unproven mix of outfield options. General manager Mike Chernoff didn’t comment directly on Conforto or any other free agents this morning, but did say in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that the front office is prioritizing its young players (Twitter link, with audio).
“One of the big challenges for us has been, how do we make sure we’re creating opportunities for those guys and not taking opportunity?” said Chernoff. “Not just signing a veteran guy that’s going to eat into some of the playing time that allows these guys to get their feet underneath them in the big leagues.”
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman suggests a new suitor in his latest podcast (Conforto talk around the 41-minute mark), calling the Rangers perhaps the likeliest team to jump on Conforto. Texas has already forfeited a second-round and third-round selection in order to sign Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, meaning the draft-pick cost of signing Conforto would be down to a fourth-rounder for them. That, however, would still run counter to prior reports on the Rangers’ spending plans; Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported shortly after the lockout lifted that Texas viewed Matt Olson and Clayton Kershaw (both of whom they pursued but were unable to acquire) as special cases but otherwise did not plan to plan to spend significantly.
Didn’t he realize this was going to happen, especially since being tagged with a draft pick? Should’ve taken the one year QO and reapply next year.
I think that’s a perspective only so obvious in hindsight. I mean guys like Schwarber and Castellanos got seriously paid. I don’t think most reasonable people expected this. The draft pick though is a big problem for a guy like him as you point out.
Schwarbs and Castellanos are coming off monster years. Conforto was pretty bad last year. I get your point, but I think a lot of people saw this coming.
I think they clearly saw a challenging environment for him and that he wasn’t going to get a $100M contract, but I never saw anyone ever posting any such type of prognostication, not in journalistic print or in any sports forum. Once again, you’re saying that completely with the benefit of hindsight.
Plus Schwarber didn’t have a QO attached to him having been traded at the deadline.
The QO is the biggest sticking point and it’s why Schwarber and Castellnos aren’t comparable at all. Anyone who isn’t the newest of fan has been following free agency for years and realized teams don’t want to give up picks even if it’s a 2nd round pick. And it’s not that pick it’s the bonus money that comes with the pick that hamstrings teams on draft day and they don’t like that.
@iverbure
Nick Castellanos was tagged with a QO by the Reds. Kyle Schwarber wasn’t eligible for one with his midseason trade from the Nationals to the Red Sox.
There were plenty of people on here that said it. Just because you choose to ignore anything that doesn’t conform with your opinion, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/01/mlbtr-poll-predicting-michael-confortos-contract.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/michael-conforto-to-reject-qualifying-offer.html
flamingpoop, I read thru the first link so I won’t bother with the second because your point has not been made. All I saw were regurgitations of what MLBTR said and a bunch of prognostications all over the place, of course well below $100M.
Are you under the assumption that I’m stating that people expected him to get a huge contract? What I am saying is that no one predicted that he would be looking for a contract this late. We ALL saw MLBTR’s forecast. And many everywhere suggested he would have to take a one year deal. My point is, where is that one year deal and who said he would exactly be lingering still?
If you were on Mets-centric sites, you’d have seen tons of comments pointing out that Conforto was foolish to pass on the QO. In fact, many if not most commenters were surprised that he was even given the QO in the first place.
Fair enough as I don’t visit those sites. But one need not be a Mets fan to make such a determination. And it’s odd that with all of the posters here (focused on the very topic of contracts), including Mets fans, I couldn’t find such a comment. I’m not saying NO ONE ever said it here. But I don’t recall it and it wasn’t in the first Conforto thread that FP linked.
Also, let me add that taking the QO is pretty much what MLBTR said anyhow, as well as various other folks. That’s a different matter than him still being the only Top 50 FA not signed.
From following the tweets of every baseball writer I can find, it seems to be a combination of the fact that Conforto played at a replacement level in 2021 and no one wants to play with him. Several of his former Mets teammates have said they don’t want him back and not a single player came to his defense regarding his stand on vaccination, etc…. The QO may be a very small part of it, but since all the rest of the players with QOs have already signed, it doesn’t seem plausible its the main sticking point.
Agreed. Conforto turning down the QO was a head scratcher. There was a deep pool of expensive talent in this year’s market. I thought the Mets offering it to him was foolish. I figured he would jump on it in record time and try again next year. With Lindor and Cano coming back next year and he had to know Cohen would spend in the offseason. He would have solid protection in the lineup and a good chance to put up much better numbers. Now he will get stuck with a one year pillow contract for 2/3 the money if he is lucky.
I posted many comments over the last couple of months about him not getting any offers because of the QO and him not being worth it. I also stated multiple times that he would have a hard time getting even a one year deal because no teams want to give up a pick for one year of Conforto. The truth is that he’s had a couple of decent runs but is otherwise an average player. He’s grossly overplayed his mediocre hand. Maybe he’s a great guy and maybe he’s great in the clubhouse but on the field he’s just okay and he’s certainly not done anything to warrant the type of deal he obviously thinks he deserves. Maybe he should consider going with different representation because his current agent has led him astray.
Why do people keep carrying on about the QO? It’s worth all of about $7m. It’s not keeping teams from offering Conforto 4/$60m, for example.
IRT ‘hindsight’, MLB-R predicted a one-year make-good contract. Excellent call on their part, but they didn’t account for the fact that teams won’t want to give up a #2 for one year of almost anyone.
So where were your comments months ago suggesting that to be the case? Pull up the comments for me.
FSF
So where were your comments months ago suggesting that to be the case? Pull up the comments for me.
=============================
I probably didn’t comment. But that has nothing to do with the comment I just made about MLB-R predicting some issue with his signing. I have, in the past, said that he’d make a reasonably good signing for the RS, assuming we signed neither Suzuki nor Story.
But the number I had in mind was well short of $19M. I was probably more in the range of $36-42M/3. That’s what makes the decline of the QO problematic. When you turn down $20M/1, it makes an offer of $36M/3 seem very unappetizing.
This is the crux of the issue. He had too weak a season to invest long-term, and the draft comp is too high to invest short-term.
Perhaps it is easier to examine in reverse. What did you think he would sign for?
Suggesting what to be the case? My comment, once again, is that no one predicted that he would be lingering on the market at this point.
All the things you and everyone said about his down year, draft pick comp, and all of that is rather straightforward and obvious and doesn’t even need to be discussed.
It wasn’t only obvious in hindsight many of the smartest users on this site mentioned this as the most likeliest scenario. Only thing I’ve yet to peg on this conforto offseason is Boras complaining about rules that have been in place for what seems like a decade.
Glad to see your modest too!
You shouldn’t be looking at his modest.
See conforto In the search bar. Scroll through old articles about him and the comments. You’ll notice a trend. The smartest users on the site always seem to be able to predict contract values pretty good. They’re always in the ballpark. Do it with multiple players. It will take time. Go back and look at trades. This will require you to be unbiased and you’ll see a lot of the same names who really know baseball.
He won’t do it. Notice his last resort was to challenge someone else’s “modesty.” In other words, he’s just looking for a fight instead of actually seeking the truth. Welcome to 2022.
Agreed FSF is a loser.
Michael Conforto alternate account spotted
I know I wrote about that more than once.
Seems he’s a fan of projection, too.
@FSF
Castellanos and Schwarber were both coming off career best years, and Conforto was coming off his worst. Even unreasonable people could see this happening.
Yes, we all understand the obvious framework. That’s why no one ever suggested that he was going to get some huge contract. But what’s laughable is how you all think you’re genius armchair GMs bringing up a 2nd round draft pick as if it is the end all. Do you have any idea how little impact your average 2nd rounder has in the future, the vast majority of whom never even get that “cup of coffee” in the Bigs?
Yea compared to the millions you’ll have to pay him that draft pick is a blip
It’s not just the pick but the 500k in international money involved as well. A good team counts on the international money to find gems like my Jays have found Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Roberto Osuna and others.
I looked it up and in the past 10 drafts only 2 players have a lifetime WAR of 10 or more, from the 2nd round of the June Draft: Alex Wood and Bryan Reynolds. That’s 300 players and only 2 that have made a significant impact, so far. Maybe picks are overrated UNLESS costs control is your real intent.
You don’t understand the draft
Or WAR for that matter… players usually take 3-4 years to make it to mlb and a few years to accumulate 10 WAR. Looking at the past 10 years is only like 1-2 years of usable data.
Do you have any idea how many 2nd rounders actually accumulate 10 WAR during their career? I certainly don’t have an exact figure but I’d be shocked if the number were even 5%.
League average is 2.0 WAR per season. They have to had produced at that level or higher to be considered an impact player. Since it takes an average of 4.5 years to reach the majors for drafted players. I started in 2007 and went to 2017. I found 12 players drafted in the 2nd round that averaged 2 WAR or more per season. About 1 in 30.
Thanks for the research. Much more sound method than the one above.
My point being that he had competition out there and he’s coming off a bad year. May have been beneficial to re-enter on a better foot with less competition and zero draft luggage.
Yes, maybe. Maybe not. it’s easier to say now that the results are largely in.
Giving up a high draft pick for short term contract has to be hard swallow for large market teams.
It’s not hindsight talking. Most people said he should have taken the QO at the time it was offered because he had such a bad year last year.
I don’t disagree with that take. That’s where outside analysts were including MLBTR when it comes down to it. But it’s not unreasonable that he would think that he could do better than that. If he would have signed a 1 yr./$20M by now (completely more than reasonable to assume), especially in a lower taxed state, then how many of these people would be chiming in with “he should have taken the QO offer”? And if we want to talk about what he should have done, we should probably go back another year. Once again, every bit of that is hindsight.
Think about it like this:
A) sign a deal coming off of his worst season as a pro
B) sign the QO, make $20 million this year, and try again next year
With A, you’re gambling that a team is willing to look past your 2021 year and give you a long term deal. 5 years, $100-$125 million maybe? Just a shot in the dark. Right now, that’s not looking probable, but it was presumably the goal.
With B, you already get $20 million and you’re gambling that you won’t get hurt and will also put up a season more in line with your career stats. Get injured or another bad year? You’re probably getting a one year deal, $8-15 million, plus the $20 million you already got for 2022. But put up a good season, and you might be looking at a 5-7 year deal at $25 million a year. Or more.
He chose A, and now might be forced into B, though with a cheaper deal instead of a QO. Most people, without hindsight, were saying B. Take the QO and collect the money and try next year.
I don’t understand why the Cardinals don’t take a flyer on him with a 2-3 year deal with an player opt out after the first year. It wont tie them up for too long. It’ll give them a veteran bat, as DH or right fielder, to sit in the lineup between Goldschmidt and Arenado.
I would say he was lucky to get 1 yr 20 million from another team if he had a qualifying offer attached to him. The reason no one thought he would be this long on the market is because most people (as you have said before in past comments) is he should have been off the market before it even started. as he should have accepted the qualifying offer.
I had mentioned this in prior threads that i feared he over played his hand and will end up like stephen drew especially with the lockout and Boras overplaying his hands with mid tier QO players.
Yes you can go back to how many 2nd rounders have made it big but as many people said its about the money for the 2nd rounder and not the pick itself. How many draft picks have teams gone over slot in earlier or later rounds that are worth over 10 war?
BTW can you keep asking in hindsight can you believe he is on the market so long when most already said he should have taken the QO? The reason they said that is because you can reasonably infer that they knew this would happen if he didnt?
@FSF – Some team is not going to invest one year/$20M on him and burn a draft pick and international money.
@rct – don’t forget the pick that’s attached to him as well. Just not a favorable formula for him to enter with all the offense available this year and dollars spent.
A “good season” for Conforto will be something like 3.0-3.5 WAR. No team in their right mind (the Rockies excepted) would sign that player, a corner OFer with average, declining defense, for anything resembling 7/$175m.
Boras got 7 and even 8 year deals for modest talents such as Werth, Choo, and Ellsbury, but teams don’t do that any more. A good year for Conforto in 2022 would position him for 5/$110m, maybe, as he closed in on 30 years of age. Teams are smart enough to know that his historic BABIP in 2020 concealed a typical Conforto season, even concealing the beginnings of decline in power and walks.
It’s difficult to expect teams to pay a premium for a player’s performance in 2019…and a down year in a contract year is hard to overlook …. and the Guardians don’t give up picks …. I think Encarnacion cost them one…. They needed an outfielder….. but I was thinking something in the Pham/Pederson range
Not considering the FA landscape this year, his underwhelming production, and the position he plays. I’m not saying it was a slam dunk decision, but one that should have been seriously considered at the very least.
Schwarber hit 32 bombs in 113 games last year and Castellanos hit .309 with 30+ bombs and 100 RBIs
Conforto hit 230 in his walk year and has trouble staying on the field. I think the draft pick is the least of his worries. If he performed, he would have been signed already
I disagree this view was only visible in hindsight. Conforto had maybe the worst year of his career. I was disappointed my Mets offered the QO, as I expected him to jump all over it. I was excited as a Mets fan when he declined it. And I’m no where near surprised that a team doesn’t want to spend a draft pick and 10+ million per year for multiple years on him. That’s a very steep price for what he brings to your team and I never thought it was worth it
Right? 29 with a .724 OPS last year and he doesn’t take the QO. That’s kinda his bad IMO.
Beauty is skin deep, stupid is forever.
Hahaha I like that
Sure maybe the best approach given his struggle this season, but certainly unfair he played in plays of 7 seasons for the Mets and they can still affect his market with a QO. Certainly a “free” agent.
I don’t disagree with this, but he also had the chance to accept the QO. He left $18 mil on the table and miscalculated his market, up to this point anyway. Sure wish my employer would treat me “unfairly” by offering me $18 million for one year.
He’ll still get way more than $18m
I’d happily take the other side of that bet.
At this point. Conforto will be lucky to get $18 million.
As a Mets fan, my reaction to Conforto not taking the qualifying offer, quite literally, was “good luck”. Couldn’t prove it but that was the general sentiment among those who know him best. I love the guy but we’ve been waiting a long time for him to become something more than the streaky guy he always has been, and it’s just never materialized. That being said, I’d still throw him back in the mix if he has nowhere else to go, if only because I don’t want to see him fail and I’d love to see him get back on the market with more leverage.
Same.
Best outcome for the Mets is the pick, IMO
“Streaky”?
Do people really think a slight bunching of results at the plate makes a meaningful difference? Do people really think that a clumping of hits makes an .800 OPS less valuable than an .800 OPS nicely spread out?
At most, extreme streakiness is a hair less valuable than other distributions. That it somehow matters a lot is one of the more foolish of baseball’s enduring myths.
==and never mind actually checking Conforto against other hitters with his OPS or wRC+ shows he’s not especially ‘streaky.’
But I thought Boras was a genius who never steers his clients wrong?
He hasn’t.
Stephen Drew. Michael Conforto. Boras is an unnecessary element that injects himself into business negotiations that would generally transpire with or without him. He’s a con artist. Great players get paid and somehow Boras gets the credit. Bamboozeler is all he is.
Dallas Keuchel, Stephen Drew disagree
“Stephen Drew. Michael Conforto. Boras is an unnecessary element….. He’s a con artist. Great players get paid and somehow Boras gets the credit.”
Cosmo2;
No.
What do you mean that he “injects himself into business negotiations that would generally transpire with or without him..”? That’s exactly what all agents do.
Out of the thousands of players the man and his corporation have represented, you’ve found 2 that didn’t pan out quickly (actually Kenny Rodgers – the pitcher – also waited too long to sign one year…..and trust me Drew and Rodgers aren’t selling their memorabilia on EBay to make the mortgage).
Scott Boras and those that work for him are extremely credentialed, skilled and professional. They lay the market out, the possibilities, etc, and always list the options. They do NOT tell a player what to do. The decision is the players.
Mr. Conforto is 29 years old. He’s extremely talented. No matter what happens in 2022 the man is going to have a long career, and continue to add to earnings he has accrued thus far – which he and his family can live on the rest of their lives with out ever needing another paycheck.
The man is the best professional sports agent in history – any sport. List anyone that comes in 2nd and they haven’t been dong it for 1/3’rd as long as Mr. Boras….let alone at his level.
Show me the player that WOULDN’T have gotten paid without Boras.
Man, “wouldn’t” is a very oddly spelled word. You notice it when you capitalize it I guess.
“Show me the player that WOULDN’T have gotten paid without Boras.”
@ Cosmo2;
Please, that’s just utter stupidity.
1. You can say that about any player that hired an agent.
2. Players talk amongst themselves about agents. Players interview agents before hiring them. How come Scott Boras agency represents more MLB players – by far – than any other agency. And a disproportionate number of his clients are the upper tier players.
Tell you what – don’t waste your talents here. You need to get down to Spring Training and tell all the players how they shouldn’t hire Scott Boras’ agency. Tell them what you wrote above.
LOL
I have to agree with Samuel, this is a stupid take. It’s not at all about whether they would get paid or not, and if you think that then you’re too dumb for this conversation. Boras Corp is there to get his client the most money they can, not just any money, and also get them playing where they want to play, not just with any team. I’m not a big fan of agents, but Boras is one of, if not, the best, and he’s earned it.
Yes that can be said about any agent. That’s the point. They serve a purpose but show me where a player got paid because of Boras where they otherwise wouldn’t.
FWIW, I think Boras is a genius.
He’s human so not infallible, but the guy is essentially the paragon of Sport Agents. He has no peer.
That said, I disagree with the notion that the players Boras represents are brain addled sheep that are not responsible for choosing their own career path.
So the Mets actually offered him 100 mil before season started, we’re willing to go to 120… another great Boras Decision lol
I agree Conforto should’ve taken the QO. It seemed like a poor choice at the time to me and even more so now. Especially coming off a poor year of production in 2021.
What he really should have done was take the 120 million dollar extension the Mets were willing to give him last off season
Could he have gotten more w a great season? Sure. But it was always more likely he posted an 800-840 ops than 900+ and I think the best that he would have done w/o a career year was the Springer deal…
Michael take that money like I did so the fans can know the 2022 MLB draft order!
Very random thought and with benefit of hindsight the players union should have (1) gotten players a longer window to decide whether to take the QO in future, and (2) demanded that the window re-open briefly for this year once the new agreement was in place, arguing that it was difficult for teams and players to operate in December.
No dice.
Teams need to make decisions on their payroll and cant wait around for the Conforto’s of the world to drum up interest. Teams would be hamstrung in your scenario, not knowing whether a big ticket player was coming back or not.
And if he really wants to take the QO, he likely could just get the Mets to give it to him.
In reality he is holding out hope for more – in which case he takes his chances.
So no. Would not work.
Additionally, players and their agents aren’t stupid. They know a QO is a possibility well in advance (at least a season) and they’ll have planned for a scenario where they get offered one and decided whether they will take or leave it well before the decision is official.
The problem with that scenario is you give the player the opportunity to test the market and either A) sign with a new team and only then reject the offer, or B) test the market, realize that no one is interested and only then accept the offer.
It’s sort of the cat-and-mouse game Bret Favre played with the Packers where he would wait months to tell them if he planned on coming back or not til they finally traded him
I totally agree
Mike or his agent overplayed his cards after a miserable season. If it was his agent’s decision he needs to cut bait. QO is looking good now. Take whatever he can get for 1 year & put up the #s.
He listened to Boras. He’ll be lucky to get a one year deal for $15mil.
I’ve followed Conforto since he was a star at Oregon State. It’s really tough to see a player I like so much get hurt like this, even when it’s partly his own fault.
Seems like a Colorado move at this point.
They’ve got six OF that are gonna play, although three can also play IF. Don’t see it unless they trade one or two.
Yea exactly. Seems like a Colorado move.
@Bash
I was thinking Colorado too on a one year deal. A chance to redeem himself and re-enter free agency if he has a typical year- plus he could be dealt for kids at the deadline.
Staying in the NL where he knows the pitchers would be a plus for him.
The Sox could use him in RF over JBJ.
I highly doubt Boston adds him. I agree that Conforto would be an upgrade offensively over JBJ but he would put Boston over the Lux Tax and reduce future financial flexibility this year. I think the heavy lifting was done with Story they addressed the right hand bat they wanted.
The real issue is Cleveland this guy just makes to much sense for a team that needs outfield help. It’s actually a joke that they aren’t in on this guy. He is the kind of add that potentially could make a difference for Cleveland. If they aren’t willing a guy that clearly would help them then for gods sake blow it up trade your veterans and rebuild. One things for sure if you have a payroll as low as Cleveland and you say you want to compete and you won’t sign a guy like this who could probably sign to a one year deal right now then you should be ashamed as an owner. It’s time to force these ownership clowns that won’t even spend 100 million on there roster to sell. They shouldn’t be owners it’s a joke this guy makes so much sense for Cleveland they need him he won’t cost much more then the 18 million for one year it just makes sense shame in the Cleveland owner what a clown.
Boston is already over the luxury tax
Boston doesn’t really have incentive to act here. While Conforto could return to being an impact hitter vs RHP, so could a number of hitters who, like last summer, might be available at the trade deadline at a fairly minimal cost. Since Conforto has long had problems staying healthy and is no lock to be that impact hitter, I don’t know why you’d want to stretch financially to take a gamble you don’t have to take. I’d want a second year of control, and even then, I think I’d rather just look to convert some 40/40+ FV prospects into reinforcements later on.
Why does any team need to spend a 100m? Rays and A’s have been competitive without going near 100m. If you can win with 25m dollar payroll why shouldn’t you be able to? It’s a joke that fans think spending equals winning.
You can win occasionally without spending, but it does help to supplement your core… I think the point here is if competitive teams have the ability to spend to improve their team and don’t, then that’s a travesty
There’s at least a couple teams who draft and develop so poorly, that even 200 million isn’t nearly enough. But the CBA in baseball is set up to help those teams compete, with those teams that do produce their own star talent.
The problem I have is this fit is so good for Cleveland and the only reason that they aren’t signing is money. That reason the GM gave us total BS they have a need in the outfield and Conforto fills that need . If the GM came out and said that we don’t think that Conforto is worth the second round pick plus the money we would have to pay him then there’s an excuse relatively weak one but at least it’s a real excuse not we don’t want to block any of our young upcoming outfielders oh yea that don’t have any that’s just a BS excuse.
@ Bruin1012;
Maybe you should read the article closely.
I agree that Conforto would be good fit for Cleveland. But this is a team coming out of a rebuild on the fly that I believe that can contend for the ALC title this year. However….
They cannot offer Conforto a multi-year contract – they’re trying to extend Shaner Bieber and other Pitchers. So they can only offer one year – which Conforto would probably prefer anyway. OK. So the franchise is supposed to increase their 2022 payroll by 1/3’rd to sign one player for one year (and while a solid MLB player, hardly a dependable superstar)? And what happens if they DO contend and want to take on a contract of another players with a trade at the deadline to fill a weakness? Where does that money come from?
Rest assured that if Cleveland is in fact in the hunt for the ALC title in late July-August, they’ll take on a veteran in trade and move one of their prospects. That way they only have to pay the balance of the players salary and (again) they’ll be targeting a player that fills a weakness – and weaknesses perceived prior to a season are often not the weakness that teams have in-season.
Samuel I think it’s pretty well known that the outfield is a weakness for Cleveland and Conforto is a potential answer just saying.
Sure it’s well known.
So?
What team in MLB doesn’t have weaknesses? Royals GM Dayton Moore has pointed out that all do.
So a team is supposed to get away from their rebuilding plan and overspend on one player for one year to win that year?
Allow me to explain…….
The Cleveland Front Office is NOT the White Sox Front Office.
@Ma4170
“Travesty” you say? You must be a player agent. Looking at the results of vast majority of free agent signings, I’d say THAT’S what a travesty looks like.
@Bruin1012
You know what’s really clownish behavior? Not acknowledging that the “clown” you deride owns a club that has won an average of 90 games a year for nine years.
You know what keeps a guy from being a clown? Avoiding mega contracts for 29 year olds who’ve been vaguely disappointing for years, combining hot streaks with cold so often that no one knows what to expect from him except inconsistency. And then you pile on top of that a thoroughly mediocre year that isn’t any better than the guys you already have that you don’t have to give nine figures to AND a compensatory pick.,
So yeah, maybe CLE could use the guy, but not at the price he wants to be paid. That doesn’t make CLE clowns, it makes them smart. As their record clearly demonstrates.
@ Avory;
Bless you;
What’s a guy like you doing on a chatroom like this?
That draft pick compensation tag is unfair to the player. Should be eliminated. Seems like the kind of thing that compels teams to avoid signing guys or forcing guys to wait until mid-season to sign a pro-rated deal, every time. An unnecessary tax and detriment.
I understand how valuable draft picks can be, but even so.
That said, Conforto definitely seems like a prime candidate to take a one year prove it/bounce back contract or a multi-year deal with an opt out after the first season, so…. probably should’ve accepted the Qualifying Offer….
Keep in mind that it’s only attached to him because he declined playing for almost $20m this year.
He knew the risks, as you’ve stated.
It was bad guidance from Boras and even though I like conforto and know how good he normally is, I said at the time it was a bad move not accepting the QO off of the year he had
Maybe they should have a work stoppage over this issue?
It’s only unfair to the player if the player is dumb enough not to know the rule has existed for like a decade. Turning down 20 mil and then complaining nobody wants to sign him isn’t unfair it’s just stupid.
If the draft pick compensation is so unfair, why are we only talking about one person?
In reality he wants too much money. Thats the problem.
Do you think that a team will sign him for say a 4 year 75 million contract? I bet a few would, meaning its not the pick that is the problem. Its the fact he wants a contract that takes him until his late 30’s at big numbers.
Gads……..
One guy out of over a hundred did not make out in a system in spite of being told by numerous people the realities of said system…..and we have to change everything because an injustice has in committed?
This outrageous immature entitlement mentality which has spread all over America is tiring to watch. The world is not perfect. People have to take responsibility for their actions – and learn from their mistakes. The way it’s always been in every country in the world forever. Either grow up and become an adult, or forever be a helpless child saying the world ruined your life.
Clearly should have taken the QO.
“Even more palatable” should “even less palatable”
yay, i’ve made a not negative difference in the world
So the Guardians try to trade for Olson and Winker (so they say), but buying low on a guy like Conforto is unpalatable because it takes away playing time from…checks notes…MLB failures Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado? BS. It’s about $. Guardians leadership needs to stop treating us like we’re idiots
Well, can you really blame owners with only $4.6 billion in net worth for being frugal with player salaries?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/12/mlb-owners-net-worth.html
Bet you get upset if your job doesn’t reimburse you for postage stamps. The Net worth of the owner is irrelevant. Its what the team can afford.
When the idiot owner says that if fans show up he would spend more, it’s hard to accept. But, perhaps you buy crap merchandise hoping that they will make the next version better.
Only 4.6 billion? Have you any idea how much money it costs to run a professional baseball team? More kindergarten economists, terrific.
Two words for you, Cosmo:
Mike Ilitch
Well unless the team loses money, it doesn’t actually COST anything to run a team. The asset appreciates and makes an operating profit.
Saying that it doesn’t “cost” anything to run a business is a perfect example of the misunderstandings that people here have about business
It’s funny that you think your net worth argument is a good one. Clearly ignorant how businesses work…you’ll grow up someday.
@ Fink Ployd;
LOL
The “owners net worth” you’re referring to includes the owners relatives and their families.
Let’s say that you’re worth $1k (OK, maybe I’m a little high there…..just illustrating the issue), but you have an uncle and 2 cousins living 2 states over who’re worth a billion dollars. So I can write that you’re worth $1,000,001,000 in the paper, and your neighbors will wonder what you have such an average lawn.
It’s a hoot reading conclusions people draw on here!
@Fink Ployd
Sigh. More spreading of misinformation. The megabucks Dolans of NY who own The Knicks and Cablevision are NOT the Dolans of Cleveland whose only wealth derives from a local law firm. In point of fact, the Dolans of Cleveland are probably too poor (relatively speaking) to run a major league team in today’s era, which is one reason they’ve been scrambling for a partner ever since John Sherman left to buy the Royals, Now Sherman’s massively appreciated shares are in escrow, but they have to be paid off in cash, and how do you get cash out of equity without selling? Gotta get a partner.
So yeah, you can spread all that crapola information about the Dolans but I don’t know about you, but I don’t have access to my cousin’s money to buy a $100m ballplayer (or a BMW), do you? The Cleveland baseball team is operated by one thing and one thing only: the revenue the team brings in. There are no deep pockets to supplement it. That’s right, if the CLE owners are guilty of anything, it’s not being wealthy enough to be owners in the first place.
Fortunately, while they may not be obscenely wealthy, they don’t cut corners in running a team (all the stuff you don’t see that’s not discretionary in a major league operation) and are smart enough to hire great people who are capable of competing despite revenue limitations.
I remember when people said the Indians were manipulating mercados service time. Then they were forced to bring him to big leagues before he was ready and destroyed his career. Anyone who mentions service time manipulation should be jailed for what they’ve done to this kids career.
What? Mercado was rushed to the big leagues? He had over a full season of AAA experience under his belt before his callup, and his rookie year was the only time he actually had success in at the MLB level. He’s just been really bad since then
You ruined his career.
No iverbure….
YOU ruined his career.
Nonsense. Mercado was neither rushed to the bigs nor had his service time manipulated. He was a solid rookie who crumbled after the scouting report came out, a tale as old as time. He’s worthwhile as a glove first CF I guess but Cleveland has Straw now who is better in that role
No Samuel, your opinion doesn’t matter.
Whether or not Mercado is a prime example or not, let’s face it, those who hurl accusations of service time manipulation are usually not ones who have a franchise’s best interests at heart and often not the players’ either. When a player like Francisco Lindor is brought up and does well right away, people yell “he was held down too long!” But if he comes up and is good right away, didn’t the team bring him up at JUST the right time? Why are teams in the wrong if that happens? Are teams supposed to bring guys up and wait to see if they struggle and then send them back down, not only potentially setting back the kid’s career AND starting his service clock? What good is that? It’s a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Fact is, small market teams take years to draft and develop players as their main source of talent; they shouldn’t be chided for wanting to make absolutely sure when they promote them they are getting six to seven years of productivity, and not far fewer than that. It’s the only way for them to compete.
Further, because they were a recipient of revshare, they would only be out a 2nd round pick. If they had the money to take on Olson, I can’t imagine a short term deal on Conforto is out of the question.
Like they can afford $20m/1 year on the guy and let him try to rebound and try free agency next year. It opens up a lot of possibilities:
1) You could trade him midseason if he’s doing well but the team is out of it, recoup some prospects probably worth more than the 2nd round pick you gave up
2) If he sucks, at least he’s bought you time for Valera, Palacios, and Kwan to spend down in the minors, increasing the control you keep on them
3) If he does well and the team does well, you can revisit signing him in the offseason.
Plus as a lefty power bat, he’s likely to do quite well with the short porch in RF.
CLE’s payroll for 2022 is near the bottom of MLB. One of the best rotations in baseball, but they want to behave like they’re either “set” or rebuilding (neither is true). Offering Conforto a pillow contract makes a lot of sense, but the real reason is the FO is deathly afraid of giving up that draft pick.
I would bet they have offered a 4/50-60M to Conforto but Boras wants that opt out and they won’t do it. Same with other contending clubs that could use him.
Please Detroit, please capitalize on this one.
Agree or Cubs
Cubs value the loss of a draft pick too high, plus the loss of 500K in international pool money. They need left handed hitting but unless they can get him on the real cheap, ain’t gonna happen.
Sorry, he’s not needed in Detroit. Baddoo, Greene and Grossman have it covered.
That could be a nice fit for both parties
ON THIS ONE
-Yours Truly
Detroit
What if the Mets signed him to like, 1 year $20M and traded him to, let’s say, the White Sox for Craig Kimbrel and the salary difference. White Sox could avoid losing the draft pick and net addition to the payroll would be like $4M plus an everyday bat for the lineup. Mets would get a relief pitcher they desperately need and don’t have many options on the market.
Obviously have to clear it with Conforto’s camp and he’d have to be cool with it, but could be interesting idea if it’s allowed.
“Mets would get a relief pitcher they desperately need”
Really?
Yes. Their bullpen is shaky at best. Diaz is solid, Lugo coming off injury, May and Castro are hit of miss. A lot of question marks everywhere.
Upon signing, Comforting can’t be traded for half a season.
Yes, although the player can waive that stipulation especially if he is given an added financial incentive to do so.
Unless something happened in the new CBA, MLB doesn’t have sign-and-trade deals like the NBA.
I’m not sure if that’s a baseball rule or a contract rule? Obviously all parties would have to agree to this before signing and all that. And of course this wouldn’t happen, just something to think about.
I can’t imagine MLB would approve of the move, even if it’s technically possible – it’s clearly manipulating the QO rules. Beyond that, the WS would have to compensate the Mets for the 2nd round pick – perhaps Kimbrel is that compensation, but then the WS could just trade the Mets Kimbrel for [2nd round pick equivalent person in A-ball].
While that would make some sense for all parties, the league frowns upon such manipulation like you’ve mentioned.
If the Sox had any common sense, they would have never picked up Kimbrel’s option for 16M and would have signed Conforto outright themselves. Nobody thinks Kimbrel is worth 16M, and if any team wants him, they can probably have him for free if they will pay any substantial portion of that 16M.
Conforto was offer 5/$120 from the Mets and Declined it thanks to Scott Boras.
Conforto should fire Boras the minute after he signs. He’s clearly getting some terrible advice from his representation.
I’d like to see how boras is spinning this to mike.
Mike: yo Scott, you told me to turn down that 120 mil deal where’s my contract offer
Boras: yes, I did but it’s this damn QO. Teams don’t want to give up the pick
Mike: is this a new rule
Boras: no it’s been a rule for like forever I just don’t like it. I’ve been stomping my feet about forever. I’ve cost other players millions over this rule as well
But but but Boras is a genius, isn’t he? This is undisputed!
Keuchel and Drew disagree
In fairness to Boras (and I love to see his fails as much as the next guy), it’s not his fault Conforto chose to 2021 to be just awful.
Uh, he should have noticed that his 2021 was not great, and adjusted his strategy from his usual 10 yr half a billion dollar demand.
As I recall (and I may be wrong) the Mets offer of 5 years $120 million was prior to 2021.
cleveland is so cheap
This time I can understand why. After looking like a 2.5-3.5 WAR player, he didn’t show to be anywhere near QO money worthy last year. It looks like he’d presumably supplant the Zimmer+Mercado platoon and either one of them were more valuable last year and don’t cost near as much. It’ might not be a sexy LF, but according to WAR, they can combine to be a starting worthy LF. Then you add in near-ready prospects like Kwan, Palacios, and Nolan Jones and I can see why Cleveland would pass on Conforto.
Thank you for your mature reply. That’s EXACTLY how a shrewd team would look a the situation.
San Francisco
I’m with you. Sign him and trade another positionally suitable lefty for a right-handed hitter. Leftys will still be afraid of Conforto’s power.
That seems unnecessarily convoluted. Why not just sign a righty hitter?
Go play in the Mexican league.
This is a real option for him. He could play in MX until the draft. Then sign for the rest of 2022 to play in the U.S. He would never do it though.
Unless the Rangers plan on adding Nimmo and bringing Gallo back next year, they have a slot open now and for the future..I guess they could be hoping Thompson, Walker, or Zavala is ready next year, but you still have two vacancies, so do they expect J.Smith or Foscue to convert to a viable option. All those things considered this would not be a bad signing for TX at 4/80 w opt put after year 2. 18 for 2022, 20 for 2023, 22 for 2024, 20 for 2025, perhaps add a 5th year at 20 or a 5 million buy out.
From a fit standpoint, Conforto makes a lot of sense for the Rangers. It just comes down to cost and whether or not they’re willing to sacrifice another draft pick.
I see the point but they have quite a few very athletic infielders like a Smith that can learn to play the OF so save that money and spend it on a pitcher at a later point. They have to see what they have in some guys before spend money on a player that might reach his peak again. That’s a big gamble for them at this point in their rebuild. Also if they’re giving up another pick then they would want more than one year. Granted very few 4ths get to the bigs but the slot amount could come in handy signing other guys.
The Rangers’ window opens in 2023. They can’t wait to see who pans out anymore. After this year, if a young guy’s getting called up, it’s because he’s expected to contribute to a winning club.
And beyond that, Conforto on a two- or three-year deal wouldn’t be blocking anyone of import or keeping the Rangers from adding pitching, if necessary. And the Rangers have more ready or near-ready starting pitching prospects than they do outfielders right now, so if you’re going to bet on youth, do it with the rotation, which will be adding two high-ceiling arms (Winn and Leiter) to a good mix of back and mid-rotation prospects in the next two seasons.
Agree and understand 100% that pitching isn’t a need to spend area. Agree OF has some holes but I’d rather spend that amount of someone that you know what they are. Conforto may got back to be a good hitter or he may not. I’d rather they trade prospects for a more proven piece they can extend (like an Olson although that price was too steep for this point) than Conforto. If they were going to spend more then it should’ve been a Castellanos. They have this year to see if Willie, Eli White, Adolis are actually a part of their future although I agree you can’t wait to see how they pan out. Then seeing how Harris, Foscue, Smith, Wendzel and their other upper level hitters progress to see how to improve for 2023 and beyond. Think we’re on the same page on most parts.
I think we pretty much do know what Conforto is. He’s a patient hitter with good but inconsistent power. So at his worst, he’s basically a Nate Lowe type hitter, which is to say a high-floor hitter who will get on base at about a .350 clip. And at his best, he’s Nate Lowe with 30-home run pop, which will equate to about an .850 OPS or better.
And the good thing about the Rangers’ situation is they wouldn’t be asking him to centerpiece their lineup. That’s what Semien, Seager and Garver were brought in to do. They’d just be asking him to lengthen it. And one more good veteran bat would make a world of difference in what is quickly becoming a very formidable lineup.
All that said, I’d be happy trading for Matt Beaty as well. He’d fill a similar role at a fraction of the cost — albeit with much lower upside.
Just a little sarcasm, but that contract would fit right in with Myers, Hosmer, Hayward, Davis, plus numerous others that is about 60M too much over four years. Teams can’t give the players away and if Conforto has another disaster year like 2021, the team is now handicapped for three more years and they have to attach a prospect to trade them. We are talking about a player that just had a disaster year and it can’t be blamed on bad luck or injuries. When players making 10M outhit Conforto, it explains why NO GM will go over 10M to sign him for one year, especially with a draft pick and 500,000 involved.. Semien signed an 8M contract with Toronto and played it into a 7 year contract in Texas. Conforto should have taken the qualifying offer and then see what happens. Teams aren’t shelling out bad contracts to borderline players any longer.
especially so late in the off season with few teams looking for this type of player. I would see his value right now as 10 mil based on everything but would give him 12 mil for 5 years based on upside with the opt out after 1 yr that he would want. He prob wouldn’t take it but no loss for my team if he doesn’t.
Wisdom,
Semien signed for 18m with the Jays not 8m. You are confusing him with Ray who signed for 8m . Semien however did not have a QO attached.
Regardless of which player got 8M, the facts remain that Ray went out and proved that he was worth more. Even Semien proved on the field that he was worth the contract he received in Texas, the same way Ray received his contract in Seattle. If Conforto, who is coming off the worst year of his life in baseball feels slighted, he signs a pillow contract for less than the QO and then in 2022, he proves on the field that he is worth more. Teams that go by past results in years gone by are the teams that have the Heywards, Hosmers, Myers, Davis players that they can’t get rid of and are forced to pump millions down the drain on them until contracts expire. Conforto, signs for whatever he can get and then he puts his actions where his mouth is located to benefit in the future.
Scott boras was confortos biggest mistake
The White Sox make a lot of sense if they can trade Kimbrel first
…if they could trade Kimbrel first. They can’t so its not happening.
If they are balking at 50 k to keep Giolito happy, I doubt Conforto is happening
Reinsdorf (and by extension Hahn) works that way unfortunately – they have a line, and if the player won’t pass that line, then they go to arbitration – no matter what, even if it’s 50k. He sees it as his job to “protect the line” from the constantly advancing arbitration salaries…
White Sox arbitration record is lackluster.
If he could field well, he’d have a lot more interest from teams. No team wants to give up a pick and give him a lengthy deal to make it worth their while when he doesn’t have a position he’s good at, perhaps passable in left field, and his bat is no certainty to make a GM look foolish.
If only there was a team that was collecting left field types who should probably DH and have bats that could be streaky, a team that was willing to sign many of them for deals with a big dollar value attached… if there were such a team, how many of those players of that sort could that one team carry?
He’d be the defensive replacement in Philly!
Heh
He’s normally a good RF (not CF)… he had a bad year in all facets last year, but he’s typically solid there… I wouldn’t paint him as a bad defender
Why does everyone think he’s a defensive liability? He catches everything he gets to, reads the ball well, throws accurately…
He’s a good, not great, fielder. He’s certainly not a liability.
He’s alright but good teams have better or same already.
I remember when Juan Gonzales fell to the old Indians and took a one year deal in 2001 because he had no where to land. May not have been a QO issue then. Delivered a huge year and left for Texas the next. Th Cleveland baseball team could use that kind of luck. $10 million.
Farhan is sniffing around on this you can be sure. Would not be surprised to see Conforto sign with Giants.
Jays don’t even make sense since he is unvaxed.
If he hasn’t been vaccinated, he cannot realistically play for the Blue Jays and it might limit the teams in the AL who would sign him since he could not get into Canada. Plus, if he gets COVID, he might be out longer than someone vaccinated. Politics and belief in vaccination could cause issues in getting a job.. My company fired people who didn’t want to get vaccinated.
I wonder if that Mets analysis was done without knowing the mandates have since been lifted in NYC? Conforto isn’t vaxxed, but he’d be a perfect DH/OF JDM-type player for NYM.
But they already have Cano, Smith and Davis to DH. And they have other OFers. So where is their need, especially when they’d be costing themselves the benefits of another team signing him?
white sox are currently platooning 2 DHs in right field.
pay this guy.
And problem is worse when you have Eloy in LF. Robert has great range, but that’s a big ask. Sign Conforto ! Too bad Kimbrel won’t bring a decent return. Him and Keuchel are eating a lot of wasted salary.
Conforto doesn’t deserve this. He’s actually a good player. I wish him the best and I hope he finds a team soon
No one likes Spring Training. I’m sure he’s perfectly happy waiting for the right offer.
Personally, I don’t understand the idea that “at bats would be hard to come by” for Conforto.
First of all, signing him would almost certainly mean Dom is traded. So there’s one less LHH bat to compete for ABs with right away. Then, there’s the unfortunate reality of Nimmo’s and Canha’s injury histories, and the fact that Marte has yet to play in a ML ST game.
It’s entirely possible they enter the season with a Dom/JD platoon in LF with Nimmo in CF and Canha in RF. That’s really bad LF defense with a range-limited, injury-prone CF that puts them one injury away from Travis Jankowski manning CF full-time.
Swapping Conforto into RF or LF would reduce the amount of ground Nimmo has to cover, give them a natural platoon partner with Canha, and allow them to rotate all of their OF through DH once a week to keep them healthy.
And before anyone says it, Canó shouldn’t be a consideration for prioritizing playing time. He’s the last bat off the bench and 3rd string 2B IMO, nothing more.
Also, depending on Conforto’s contract, it would give them insurance and leverage against Nimmo walking after the season.
Lots of reasons a Conforto reunion makes sense for the Mets, and it’s fairly simple to find a way to get him 5 starts a week even before the injuries start piling up.
Ummm… so why not save the money and just go with Smith? I’d rather have Smith than trade him so we can overpay for Conforto . Marte is CF. Nimmo and Canha the corners. Conforto missed the boat.
Because Conforto is better? I thought that was obvious.
Is he though?
How could Conorto or Nimmo be a natural platoon partner with Canha when Cahna is a righthanded batter that actually hits righties better than lefties? Or did you not look at stats and just assumed? Nimmo, Marte and Cahna should play everyday. If they sign Conforto they would need to trade Dom to get Conforto DH at bats. For a platoon DH, maybe 1 year $5M.
Conforto is better than Canha so Canha would be the 4th OF which is the right role for him on a winning team
@MA4170 Canha is not a 4th OF on a winning team. His average OPS+ over the past 4 years is 125 along with an average 2.5WAR. Those are not the numbers of 4th OF In the same last 4 years, Conforto has the same 125 OPS+ and a slightly lower 2.4 average WAR. If Canha is a 4th OF on a winning team,then so is Conforto.
Marte played in today’s game and looked pretty good.. Sorry to ruin your narrative there.
Wouldn’t mind seeing the White Sox pick him up if the price is right.
As a Sox fan, same. But define “price is right”. Being a Boras guy, he either is getting overpaid 3/4-year deal with an opt out after year 1 or like a 5 year deal worth $100 mill.
Clearly, the teams that he would make the biggest difference on are the Padres and the White Sox. I’d like to see him go to one of these.
I agree…Padres could use him in their OF mix and DH platoon with Voit…getting Luke some time at 1B, which would allow Hosmer to rest and stay fresh throughout the year.
Wait, you mean teams don’t want to give up a pick for a corner bat who manages just a 108 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR last year? The shock!
Seriously, why didn’t he take the QO?
He stupidly listened to Boras and screwed himself. He is a very good player though. 2021 was likely an outlier.
He averages 3.5 wins a (full) season or so. That’s a $20m a year player. Someone will pay him (and be smart to do it).
Put money on it.
Giving you a like just for the Megaman pic.
Bet on himself and lost.
Trade Judge for two A’s pitchers and sign Conforto!
Another delusional player led to believe he’s worth a lot more than he actually is by Boras. Should’ve taken the reported $100 million+ offer and run, dummy
I know I’m kind of beating a dead horse on this but can we finally understand that Boras isn’t the genius folks think he is?
Some dead horses deserve to be beaten. However: I don’t think this is one of them.
He could land with Brewers or Twins. Seems they could both use outfield upgrades. Nationals, too.
Could the Rockies try to convince their fans that they want to contend?
I think teams like the Twins, Brewers and White sox that are contenders won’t give him the numbers like the Mets offered and they won’t give him the opt outs either. I’m sure Boras wants those opt outs and they’re telling him to shove off.
Just an idea, but a one year prove it or go into obscurity for 10 million doesn’t require opt outs. Conforto puts the numbers on the board or he is cut loose at the end of 2022, prompting 30 teams in MLB to sigh a breath of relief that another bad contract that handicaps a team didn’t take place.
I don’t think teams want to pay Conforto 8 mil let alone 18 mil for this year. He has limited value with some upside based on history but when teams get down to their last few mil they have to decide if that money isn’t better spent at the deadline. I can see him signing for 10 to 12 mil. I don’t think Boras will get the 18 mil. It will be for 1 year for sure.
He’s a 29 year old with a career 124 wRC+ and 3.5 wins/600 PA. He’s an absolute rock solid player. He’ll get his money.
@seamahoic2 He was not a rock solid player in 2021. Average at best, and not even worth the 18M qualiying offer for 2022. He turned down 5 years $120M that was offered based on 2017-2020 numbers. He gambled on 2021 and failed himself. If he thinks he is worth north of the $24M per year he turned down, his best play would have been to accept the 18M qualifying offer, put up numbers in 2022 worthy of being north of $24M a year and get the money. But, just as he failed when he gambled on himself in 2021, he failed to think about how his poor 2021 would dampen his market. Conforto should take a play out of the Andre Dawson playbook and hand an owner a blank contract. The Cubbies got an MVP year for $500K. He took what he could get and then put his performance where his mouth was. Conforto needs to man up to his mistakes.
Paging Rick Hahn. One year deal?
I rather have Conforto at CF than Hicks
Yup.
The idea that the Mets don’t have enough at bats is nuts. Has any noticed how many games Nimmo and Canha have missed in the past few tears? Or that Marte has started spring training already hurt? Or that the Mets as a team are never a paragon of health.
The at bats will sort themselves out. Bring him back. For whatever brief window there may be when everyone is healthy, the 4 outfielders can rotate between the field and being the DH.
You really want to be the most expensive second place team ever?
As opposed to…
(And if by this are you suggesting that even with Conforto that the Mets are, on paper, behind the Braves, I don’t disagree. I just think it closes the gap some)
I would actually love Conforto on the Mets. It’s not my money, obviously. I just fear that this team is in danger of becoming a 300 million dollar laughing stock. I know most fans around here think of Mets fans as obnoxiously pro-team but I’m pessimistic. I always think the worst is gonna happen for this team.
I get it. That’s not pessimistic, that’s experienced.
But the way I see it, there is a huge difference between failing with homegrown players and with store bought team (even if it really shouldn’t be that meaningful when you are talking about guys who have reached free agency).
If Starline Marte ends up being not terrible but decidedly mediocre, Met fans are going to hate him.
If we bring back Conforto and the same thing happens, we will be far more forgiving.
Ah, cosmo, we have similar scars as Mets fans
LMAO Met fans are the most pessimistic fans in all of sports.
For all those calling for the Mets to bring him back, consider that Conforto may not want to come. He’s lost his starting job and the Mets are not going to go over the next level of luxury tax for him.
I agree that he will find playing time since Nimmo, Marte, or Canha will probably be hurt by mid-May. On the other hand, if Dom Smith’s bad year in 2021 was due to injury, he can give the Mets most of the production that Conforto can bring at a fraction of the cost.
The narrative that Conforto is not a solid outfielder is ludicrous. He’s solid defensively and he looked much better in the second half of 2021. It’s too bad that he bought into the Boras hype and left the Mets offer on the table.
Is he (Conforto) CF capable at all?
Conforto is a solid corner OF who can play CF in an emergency.
Dom Smith is a 1B who can play LF in an emergency.
Roger that. Unfortunately, “emergency” is an Aaron Hicks injury away. So.
Well, realistically that Hicks injury happens in a month with a letter “R” in it, so Conforto isn’t really a good enough back up option there.
Actually, I think Gallo probably would be the superior CF backup, but for some reason the Yankees seemed to prefer Judge.
Nope.
I’m an Aaron Hicks fan. & I am fed-up with hoping he stays healthy.
As do I. Matter of fact, that is why I thought we traded for him. He held his own out there in Texas. All that does figure into it though. Seeing as how both Judge & Gallo can slide over to center, I think you could get creative with 4th OF/26th man in an effort to generate more scoring.
Not that I foresee Cash doing something like that.
Actually, as I think about it an OF of Judge/Gallo/Conforto would not be bad defensively however you aligned it.
The CF would not be great, but the corners should be good and hopefully take some pressure off.
But, I can’t see anyway the Yankees are spending the money needed to land Conforto- if they were willing to go to that level of payroll then they absolutely should have signed Correa or one of the other shortstops.
It really shouldn’t be.
Judge & Gallo are elite. Conforto is comfortably above average.
A defensive caddy for CF would certainly be in order.
There is one way.
If his price somehow dropped to where Cash would perceive his precious ‘value”. It’s certainly a much larger expenditure, but it wouldn’t be without precedent: Walker, Carter, Gonzalez, Encarnacion would all be examples.
Long shot for sure. But if Cash perceives a Good Deal I can see him sniffing around.
He’s not that good offensively and just average defensively, not an elite bat that I would be knocking doors to sign. That’s reality pal.
.824 career OPS. I would say that’s pretty good. If OPS+ is your deal that is ~ 25% better than league average. He also has a positive career rating according to OAA & DRS. So – the metrics say anyway – that he’s actually a little better than average defensively.
In the end: he’s a plus hitter & glove. I don’t think he is anyone’s savior or whatever. Still: this is a player that can help a lot of teams.
Which I see as “reality”. Uh…”pal.”
The Mets put him out in CF semi-occasionally in 2018 and 2019. He’s a good athlete, but you really don’t him out there as your everyday CF.
Yeah.
That was my impression too. Offensively, I could see a mix of Judge/Stanton/Gallo/Conforto/Hicks/CF backup being very productive at OF/DH/…IL.
It’s a very imperfect fit though. If you could get…man, even 60-80 games in CF it could work. Seems like that would be a problem though.
Someone will give him a 1-year deal for $16+ million.
I can’t see him signing for less than the QO, just out of pride.
Then he’s welcome to sit out until after the draft and then sign with some team with injured OFs for about $5 million.
He (or should I say Boras?) miscalculated his value coming off a poor season and he needs to just suck it up and sign with a team like Cleveland for say $12 million
If he has a good year, Cleveland can flip him for prospects at the deadline and he can try free agency again next year at age 30
I think he’s worth more than $12M, but less than the QO. Even as a White Sox fan, though, I kind of hope Cleveland signs him if the Sox don’t get him. I want them to spend money to show the fans they’re serious about winning, rather than just serious about hovering a bit over .500.
He’s a 124 wRC+ hitter, career. Here are some of the names that were around that level in 2021: Jose Abreu, Kris Bryant, JD Martinez. And Conforto’s a decent defender too.
It’s very much a “what have you done for me lately?” situation, though. Last year was the worst year of his career and that has some teams leery of paying him at his career rate numbers.
Uh…90 wins per year for the last 9 years is not ‘hovering over .500.” And the only reason they did last year was the complete decimation of their pitching staff.
Wait till you see what this “unserious” team does in the AL Central this year.
CLE won’t give up the draft pick for a year or less of Conforto. That’s the stopper where they’re concerned.
He’d be a great fit for White Sox. They’d need to trade Kimbrel for salary purposes. His value is going down further and further. I wish they would’ve not picked up his option and gave Rodon the QO. That ship has sailed. Draft pick compensation is another issue. If signed multi years, the pain would be eased IF he performs at high level. Risky, but I’d do it.
I think at this point, signing him for multiple years, especially at a healthy AAV, is just bidding against yourself. If he were that hot a commodity, he’d have probably found a deal to his liking by now. Agree wholeheartedly on Kimbrel and Rodon. Sox have a great bullpen, but have otherwise whiffed on the offseason.
The QO decisions at the time seemed bad, in hindsight they were awful.
He’ll eventually sign a one-year make-good, maybe with an option for a 2nd year. I’m guessing that two weeks from now, he’ll be patrolling RF for his new team.
He would make sense for the Padres but they don’t want to cross the tax threshold and they’re like ~$5-10M away right now so the only way that would work is if they can unload Hosmer, which they’ve unsuccessfully tried to do for a while.
The QO isn’t helping him, but wanting big money this late also hurts a lot. Most teams have already spent. He should have grabbed something early like Thor.
Myers is the more likely offload. Same salary, same position, only one year left on the deal.
They need to add an outfielder, not replace one.
Good luck finding someone to take Hosmer, not unless they package a good young prospect with him.
I’m not worried about Conforto eating into Oscar Mercado’s playing time
I’m sure as heck worried about him eating into extensions for guys like Reyes and Civale, that’s for sure.
You really believe we’re going to extend those guys, rather than just trade them?
Kipnis signed an extension. Roberto Perez signed an extension. Jose Ramirez signed an extension. Carlos Carrasco signed an extension. How far do you want me to go? Security is a powerful drug and while, Jose and Shane may gamble without having it, others may jump at the chance to lock in life-changing wealth. So yes, it’s not as much as a matter of the team, as much as it is what the player wants.
And I reject the notion that we are always looking to trade players nearing free agency. It all depends on the circumstances. We played out Michael Brantley, for instance. We would have played out Lindor except he started declining and wasn’t going to be worth what he was going to be paid in his last year. And it turned out he wasn’t! But the Mets stupidly paid him $340m without waiting to see the New York audition! Man, was Stevie duped in that one!
If they don’t get rid of the QO, they should atleast adjust it so the player can sign it at anytime. That way if the team has no interest they can remove the offer and the player isn’t punished while the team is rewarded
I get the idea, but it can’t be anytime. That handcuffs the team. They could make a QO, wait three months, have the player sign elsewhere and now all the good FA’s are off the market. I don’t think that’ll work. I can see it being open a hair longer, but not indefinitely.
You’re right, but they can make it where his has two weeks to accept or decline, but allow the team to make the offer a second time but for 50% less than the original offer if he’s not signed a contract by the end of January, with a 48 hour window to decide.
Players, and their agents, have literally years to figure this out. Once you get to the end of August, you can pretty much guess what your final OPS, WAR. etc., will be. You know who you will be competing against for a contract. On September 1st, your agent should know what you will be offered. If the agent says $60M/4, you can down the QO. If he says $36M/3, you can accept the QO.
But you don’t need months of time to figure this out.
$36m/3 is preferable to a QO. Players think in terms of overall guarantee, not average annual salary.
It’s a little like musical chairs when you are not a transcendent star. 20/20 says Conforto should have accepted earlier offers, especially after putting up a .384 SP last year.
Mets: Michael, we would like to offer you a $100m deal.
Michael: I’m worth more!
Mets: that’s the only offer we will give you.
Michael: Sorry.
Mets: ok
Nobody wants him and if they do he will never get anything close to $100m
How did Boras not get him to accept the QO after a down year!! WTF kind of contract did he think he’d get!?!?! That’s the perfect time to accept a QO!!
If the Jays can move Kirk for prospects,Comforto would fit nicely. They already have two qualifying offers and room on the 40 men for prospects.
Sounds like he isn’t vaccinated so pointless for the Jays to sign him unless he agreed to do so.
Plus Kirk will get a lot of ABs at DH now that Grichuk is gone and more experience with defense at catching. I can see Kirk being moved at the deadline after he is built more value and Moreno is that much closer to the bigs.
His agent gave him horrible advice smh
Hey Conforto I hear Boras needs his garage cleaned out you BUM!
I hope some team signs you for the league minimum you BUM!
That’s what you get listening to BORAT you BUM!
I hope you think of the 120 mil that you left on the table with the Mets you BUM!
I hope you think of the 20 mil QO you turned down you BUM!
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b08ac099-0e39-478e-bfe1-bcb4b7f63837
If I were Cashman id offer him a $5 mil signing bonus with $30 mil in incentives
1.) you get $30 mil if you win the MVP
2.) you get $25 mil if you finish top
5 of the MVP
And so on and so on
He could fit really well in Tampa. On one hand, he will have a very good season, helping Tampa to get a spot into the postseason and on the other hand, he will recover his market value as a free agent.
Good fit for the White Sox.
Good fit for the LG Twins
When the White Sox are quiet, thats when they are dangerous.
It’s been a largely quiet offseason. They are less dangerous than at the start of last season.
Agree 100 percent that Boras overplayed the hand. I also believe a last minute deal with the Chicago American League ball club will be made.
The White Sox have not paid any free agent as much as 10M for 2022 this winter. Last winter their highest paid FA was Liam Hendriks at 13M. They are one of the least “dangerous” teams in MLB when it comes to signing free agents that cost what it would take to get Conforto. 15 of the top 20 FA’s this winter got contracts bigger than any in White Sox history. He would be great for the Sox… but no chance.
He needs to suck it up and take a one year deal for less that he would have made had he excepted the qualifier. 1yr/$12 mil he would have plenty of suitors and would be able to pick the best fit to reestablish himself and test the market again next offseason. He gambled on himself turning down the extension and then again with the QO. He lost that gamble, now it’s time to cut the losses and realize that maybe he and Boras picked the wrong offseason to go all in without first reading the room or looking at their cards.
Giants need a bat to replace Posey still,
Yeah I’ve had the Giants for him all along and still think so. For something close to — maybe a little lighter than — Castellanos’ deal.
I’d give him a one yr pillow contract for $15M w/ incentives to bring the total up to the latest QO amount.
The Giants are way too LH already.
Boras overplayed his hand and now Conforto is about to be unemployed. If Conforto was smart he’d fire Boras and find an agent still on planet Earth. He never should of rejected the QO given he pretty much sucked last year. That 20M was a gift from Cohen he spat at. Now maybe he gets half that a year and I’m not even sure of that.
He’ll be lucky to get anything close 6-8 mil a year. He gambled and now he won’t get paid for that gamble.
It may seem crazy, but I think the likeliest scenario is him waiting to sign after the draft. He would have been signed by now if not for the draft pick attached. That’s what is scaring most teams away and practically eliminates the possibility of a pillow contract. Conforto stuck in no man’s land. Most unfortunate.
He should just sign with the Orioles. They have an atmosphere very similar to Queens right now.
In what way?
In no way
Neither has won a championship since the ‘80s and neither has reached the postseason since 2016. It’s VERY similar actually.
And that makes the atmosphere similar? Uhh, no.
The Reds need another outfielder, especially one who can contribute offensively. They have cut about $67 Million this off season. The are also getting pressure from the league and their fans and the city of Cincinnati to improve the team.
I can see the Reds signing Conforto to a one or two year contract which would allow him to opt out after each season.
Is there a contender left that needs a corner bat? NL team perhaps.
Maybe SF?
White Sox do as well, but they foolishly picked up Kimbrel’s option. Would have much rather had Conforto for a year for about the same $, maybe less.
Can’t believe the Yankees didn’t sign this lefty bat. I don’t know if you guys remember. But Conforto was very clutch in the playoffs and world series during the Mets run in 2015. Damn, was that really 7 years ago? Sheesh, having kids and getting old make these years go by so fast. But still, a lefty clutch bat who can play CF in a pinch … shocked he hasn’t gotten any good offers. I’m a Mets fan, but he’d be perfect for the Yankees. Or how about the Angels, Giants or Brewers? All playoff aspiring teams who always seem to need an OF bat
Lyman the issue is the draft pick associated with signing him. Not many teams going to just pay him 18+ million plus give up a pick. Unless a team really needs an outfielder right now they’ll just sit back and wait it out. He had a terrible 21 season along with his prior injuries I’m sure that’s a factor. He’ll get signed once spring injuries start up and a team is scrambling for an MLB ready OF. TMO
Plus the lockout hurt him bc teams scrambled to sign guys and if you weren’t in that first group and had a QO offer tied to you and came off a bad year? Good luck
That’s a good point you’re making.
At point maybe CWS or SF?
I find this hilarious!
Know your worth….
LOL I’ve been saying this about Conforto for over a year.
A .8 war guy in his decline. Pass. I’m sure he wants 15 million a year plus.
I’m not a big Conforto fan, but he’s definitely not in decline. He choked under pressure of a walk year and he’s not a premier bat, but he has been and will be a very good complementary player worth about 15M a year for 6 years.
A year of meh defense is choking?
I’m expecting a 3 year deal and if he’s lucky an AAV of 12m. Really screwed the pooch when he rejected that QO.
I think he’d rather take a 1-yr deal at that and gamble on a bounceback year.
I’m sure he would but that draft pick comp is going to make it tough. I’ll say 3 year 12ish mil with some incentives and opt outs, IF he’s lucky.
Another team desperate for a left handed batter is the White Sox. They have had an absolute dumpster fire in RF for 6+ years and their solution this season is to do nothing. Cespedes and Colas aren’t ready, Rutherford doesn’t look capable of sticking at the MLB level, and Vaughn and Sheets aren’t OFers, tho Vaughn showed incredible versatility there last year. That leaves Engel, oft injury prone as of late and far more of a 4th OFer, and Micker Adolfo, who is vastly unproven and out of options. How does a front office look at both the history and the current roster and not do something to try to help it? Very frustrating.
Conforto for starters is not an elite bat or glove, lets just get that out of the way. Then he rejected a reasonable contract extension because he overvalued himself. His thinking was I’m worth 200 mil, and so he hires Mr. Boras who uses these poor souls to enrich his own pockets. Well, Conforto made numerous bad decisions leading up to his free agency. First he had a terrible year, now mind you, he’s never had an exceptional year worthy of anything close to the 200mil he was seeking. Second, he turned down a reasonable extension offer from the Mets because he overvalued himself, and Third, well he had an off year, because he was never elite, then proceeded to reject a qualifying officer of 18mil in order to regain his value, the Mets were doing him a favor. So now Mr Conforto is stuck on neutral and will have to settle for what he is really worth, a contract no more than what Edwin Rosario received from the Braves, and that would be considered overpay in my book. A two year 14-16mil contract is generous, but he will likely get something in that ball park with Toronto or Rangers, if the price goes down, the Twins and Guardians could be suitors as well.
Fourth, he appears to be anti-vax, which, while it is his personal choice, obviously is affecting his employability.
Canada requires a vaccination passport to cross the border and without it, NO player enters Rogers Center for baseball. The team isn’t going to sign a player that is barred from ever playing home games in Canada and is restricted to US cities only. Canada doesn’t bow to public opinion from other nations that throw the baby out with the bathwater and it is a good law to have on the books. It protects the health and safety of Canadian citizen’s and every nation should have the same policy in place.
♂️
Nice job Bor-ass.
Red Sox, if they can sign him to short, prove it deal, they should. He’ll be a great fit in Boston.