Michael Conforto has drawn the attention of a number of teams in the outfield market, and a pair of AL West contenders are apparently in the mix. Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets the Mariners are showing interest in the former All-Star, while Brian McTaggart of MLB.com writes the Astros also have Conforto on their radar. Both New York teams and the Cubs have previously been tied to the Boras Corporation client.
There’s little surprise with either development. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times wrote last week that Seattle was open to adding another outfielder, and they’ve since been tied to Andrew Benintendi and Brandon Nimmo. A Washington native, Conforto has ties to the Pacific Northwest that could be an ancillary bonus for Seattle. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported last week the Astros were looking to bring in a lefty-swinging outfielder, making Conforto a sensible target. Houston was linked to him this past summer, but no deal materialized at the time.
Conforto’s a buy-low target for outfield-needy clubs. He posted an excellent .265/.369/.495 line in just shy of 2000 plate appearances for the Mets from 2017-20. After a .232/.344/.384 showing during his platform campaign in 2021, Conforto lingered on the open market upon turning down a qualifying offer from New York. He reportedly suffered a right shoulder injury during the lockout, and he underwent surgery in April. Conforto was able to begin swinging a few months later, but the rehab process prevented him from throwing during the season. While there was some chatter he could sign with a team late in the 2022 season to serve as a designated hitter or bench bat, that didn’t come to pass.
On the heels of that lost season, Scott Boras has suggested Conforto is looking for a two-year guarantee that allows him to opt out after the first season. If that doesn’t prove attainable, it stands to reason he could pivot to a straight one-year deal to get back to free agency at the end of next year. There’s no longer any draft compensation attached to Conforto, so teams figure to be more willing to take a shot on him returning to form than they were this past spring after the shoulder injury.
It seems the 29-year-old (30 next March) continues to progress well from the surgery. Conforto has long since been cleared to begin hitting, and Morosi tweeted this afternoon he’s also begun a throwing program. There doesn’t figure to be much issue building his arm back into game shape by the time Spring Training rolls around, positioning him back in the corner outfield mix for clubs.
The Mariners have two outfield spots accounted for in Julio Rodríguez and Teoscar Hernández, but they’re open to upgrades over the contingent of Jesse Winker, Taylor Trammell, Jarred Kelenic and Sam Haggerty in left field and at designated hitter. The Astros have Kyle Tucker locked into right field, while Chas McCormick has the inside track on the center field job. Yordan Alvarez is slated to split time between left field and designated hitter, but Houston’s scoring the market for another lefty bat to serve the role Michael Brantley filled the past few seasons.
Brantley is coming off shoulder surgery of his own — his procedure coming in August. McTaggart suggests the club isn’t closing the door on retaining Brantley for a fifth season, but there’s a bit more uncertainty on the five-time All-Star’s status since he underwent his surgery more recently than Conforto has.
The hot stove is warming back up a little.
It had really cooled off around the holiday.
Go Mariners!
I feel like an exciting Winter Meetings is coming next week
For the Astros, better the devil you know…
Everyone is interested in everyone.
If Conforto is near healthy, the Astros and that lineup are a great spot for him. He always excelled either further up or down in the order, but couldn’t handle the 4/5 slot well. If he hits 7th in that lineup, I could see big numbers from him (again, if healthy).
Astros would be a great landing place. Two year deal, with a 3rd year vesting option.
He’s only going to get a 1 year at a low price with maybe a 2nd year team option. That’s a very Astros contract. I would still rather have Benentendi.
Mariners got the home team angle going for them. They have the funds and the motivation to go out and get Conforto. In a head to head competition for his services, the Astros will lose.
The Astros don’t have the money resources? Even with the Abreu signing, they’re are still close to $4OM under the luxury cap. JV is going to sign elsewhere, so they can go after an OF, catcher and LH Reliever with that $40M.
I think he’s talking about Conforto being from the Seattle area. If offers are similar home field might prevail, if signing with the best team does not.
I did not write a single thing about Houston’s resources.
I would love to see Brantley back with the Astros if healthy. Conforto is younger, but Brantley is a machine at the plate.
I’m reading in Houston media that Stros have contacted Conforto, Nimmo and Bellinger agents. Brantley is very much interested in re-signing with Stros but won’t know if he is fully healthy until March. We’ll see. But the Stros will add another bat who will bat 7th.
Could you imagine a healthy line up of Altuve, Pena, Alvarez, Bregman, Tucker, Abreu, Brantley, McCormick, and Maldonado?
If Brantley is healthy I would love that.
Three years $500 million.
Lockout or no lockout, I was always surprised no team took a serious run at Conforto. In 2021, it was a down year in the power department, but he still had incredible on-base skills and actually cut down on his strikeout rate from previous years. It didn’t help that his BABIP was a little lower than usual but his max EV, avg. EV, barrel%, hard hit % and xWOBA were all right in line with his career norm. Kinda reminds me of Christian Yelich actually. The only real knock I can find on him is he started to hit the ball on the ground a bit more. Which actually led to an explosion of teams shifting on him. But that won’t be a problem anymore, obviously.
Of course, I also forget what he was asking for. Probably overselling himself didn’t help things either. Nor did the injury at the end of the year but still should be an interesting buy low candidate.
I think it’s because he had the QO attached to him, and then teams caught wind of his shoulder injury.
Yeah you’re right. Forgot about the QO from last year. But should have a better market this year for sure
sounds like JV is out of their future plans, he’s going for 300 wins, Id bank on him pitching like a bull until he gets there
I hate astros… but it hink conforto would be a good fit, alongside tucker and Alvarez, that might just be the absolute best position player group in the mlb. Other than catcher
Plus new addition Abreu
Yeah. Bergman, altuve, pena… looks incredible
Seattle could sign Conforto to then trade from their OF depth to fill other roster needs. HOU I imagine would keep Conforto in LF and DH Álvarez full-time.
They have a new full time DH
@angt222 unless the Mariners are trading Rodriguez or Hernandez the return wouldn’t be much of anything. Trammell, Kelenic, Winker, Haggerty …..all four couldn’t get you a lefty reliever and soda money.
Conforto was an ok player with the Mets, but I never considered him clutch. Many of his HRs and RBIs came in garbage time after the game was decided.
Boras has never clarified exactly what his shoulder injury is publicly. I have to believe that he is still damaged goods, otherwise he would be playing winter ball somewhere to showcase his talents. I’d be very cautious about signing him, and personally don’t want him back on the Mets.
@Attystephenadams the stats prove you correct. In 1048 plate appearances when the Mets already had a lead, Conforto had a 907 OPS and a 120 OPS+. In 1096 plate appearances when the Mets were behind, Conforto had a 738 OPS and a 79 OPS+. Some can handle pressure, some can’t, every sport, every vocation.
That’s interesting. I wouldn’t have thought to look at that. His stats with RISP, without concern for score, would have you thinking the opposite, mostly.
I don’t see the Astros signing a guy that could potentially be heading the wrong direction in his career. With all the swing and miss, Conforto doesn’t seem like a good fit at all for the Astros.
I’d like to see the Astros find a LF/1B/DH hybrid player. Mancini was supposed to be that guy and wasn’t. But, it be great to see versatile bat.
Conforto is a good fit for the Astros and especially if they sign Contreras…
Conforto LF/CF/DH
Contreras DH/C/1B
Conforto in CF, Alvarez in LF, Contreras DH
Conforto in LF, Alvarez DH, Contreras C
If the Mets lose Nimmo, and it appears that’s likely, why not a return to the Mets for Conforto? He would be a nice platoon partner with Canha in LF. RF would be better, but I don’t think Marte can play CF every day any longer, so he’ll most likely stay in RF.
And of course, there’s always the DH spot available DV goes belly up.
Why hasn’t the media done a story on all the players Borass oversells and gets nothing when Borass plays chicken w/their careers?
I think if the M’s offer him a 3 year deal for 24 mil with an opt out after 1 season, conforto will take it. And then Dansby is the big fish that we get for SS moving Crawford to 2b. Crawford is a team guy and he would do the switch. 2023 lineup:
CF JULIO
SS DANSBY
LF CONFORTO
RF TEOSCAR
1B FRANCE
C RALEIGH
3B EUGENIO
DH KELENIC
2B CRAWFORD
that’s a pretty damn good 1-7 lineup yall.
Lol Mariners fans
If they’re really in win-now mode, I don’t believe they’re going to run Kelenic out there on a regular basis. They’ll at least get Benintendi for the good OBP if nothing else. One of the four big shortstops or Nimmo is possible, but I think they’re more likely to work out a trade for an infielder… maybe Gleyber Torres for 2B in exchange for something like Brash, Winker, Gonzales and a good prospect.
Conforto in the 3 hole? Lol