The Mets have been in contact with the Giants regarding Michael Conforto, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (X link). The Post’s Jon Heyman wrote last night that the Mets were looking into the outfield market and preferred to add a left-handed hitter.
There aren’t many obvious options on that front. The Marlins are likely to deal center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., but a trade with the Mets could be complicated by the division factor. The Nationals probably wouldn’t have any qualms about dealing impending free agent Jesse Winker within the NL East. Beyond that duo, the Giants might have the top pair of trade candidates among lefty-hitting outfielders in Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski.
Of course, the Mets are plenty familiar with Conforto. A former 10th overall pick, he hit .255/.356/.468 through parts of seven seasons with the team. Conforto represented the Mets in the 2017 All-Star Game and was one of the better hitters in the league between 2017-20. His production dipped in his ’21 platform season. The Mets allowed him to walk in free agency after he declined a qualifying offer. Conforto injured his shoulder while working out that offseason. He underwent surgery and missed the entire 2022 campaign. He landed in San Francisco on a two-year, $36MM free agent pact the next winter.
Conforto hasn’t recaptured his peak offensive form coming back from the injury. He has been an unexceptional hitter over his season and a half in the Bay Area. He turned in a .239/.334/.384 slash through 470 plate appearances a year ago. It’s a similar story in 2024. Conforto carries a .226/.298/.415 batting line through 80 contests. His 9% walk rate is his lowest in any full season of his career. He’s striking out at a customary 24.1% clip.
The 31-year-old has had a slight rebound in his hard contact rate and power production. He’s slugging above .400 for the first time in four years and has 10 homers across 299 plate appearances — the equivalent of a half-season of action. That uptick in power has come with a career-low OBP, however. Conforto’s overall offense is again almost exactly league average, as measured by wRC+. That’s on par with what he produced in his final season in Queens and his first year in San Francisco.
Conforto is playing this year on an $18MM salary, nearly $6.3MM of which is still to be paid out. It’s not likely that other teams would take the full freight. Not only has Conforto’s overall production been middling, he has been in a funk of late. He carried a .280/.331/.490 slash into June but owns a .165/.261/.331 line over his most recent 145 plate appearances.
The Giants may need to kick in money and accept a minimal prospect return if they’re going to move him in the next few days. The Mets are paying a 110% fee on any salary they take. Absorbing all of Conforto’s remaining money would cost them upwards of $13MM including luxury taxes. That’s probably not appealing even to an organization that has leveraged its financial might to take on a couple struggling relievers, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek, this month.
San Francisco has dropped six of its last 10 and fallen six games below .500. They’re 5.5 games back of the Padres for the last Wild Card spot with five additional teams to pass in the standings. Their mediocre play coming out of the All-Star Break seems to have them positioned as sellers.
A conforto Mets reunion would be awesome
Almost comforting
It sure would be. We’ll send Conforto and his salary for L. Acuña.
I guess you’ve been participating in one of those government sponsored drug safe zones out there in San Fran.
Free drugs? Yes, please!
Nothing says compassion like letting junkies shoot up whenever they feel like it.
I’m guessing a letter’s missing from your name, Candlestroked? Throw in Blake Snell and pay down both of their salaries, then we’ll talk.
@phenone Sounds like you and your pals in the masturbatorium put your minds together and came up with a new handle to titillate and delight!
Maybe Giants pay part of Conforto’s salary and get back Boston Baro?
Why
I’m wondering the same. I don’t see much appeal in a .226 avg and sub .300 obp hitter.
He would replace DJ Stewart with his .639 ops and poor defense.
This is the only comment that makes any sense to me.
Yaz would be a better choice
The Mets make sense as a team that will take on money instead of giving up prospects. These are the kind of deals fans of all teams would like to see because the only downside is money the owner pays that’s really it. Clearly Conforto isn’t living up to to salary but something could be worked out.
Not particularly for Mets fans considering his $13MM obligation after taxes. Giants will need to pay that down to lessen the burden.
What do fans care how much it costs? They don’t. Trading prospects can hurt the team long term. Spending money is meaningless it’s just money.
Bc opportunity cost is a thing. Even the deep-pocketed Cohen has his limits.
The Mets just passed the Braves in the wild card race tonight. If the team wants to improve their chances in 2024 and not hurt their chances in the future the best thing to do is to do deals that involve them spending money not prospects. And I think that’s exactly what they are going to do.
I don’t believe Cohen has much of a limit when it comes to money. This is the owner all teams wish they had.
Really and what limit has he shown to have?
@Blackpink I agree Mets should look for additions where they re providing salary relief to others opposed to paying primarily in talent.
I ve got to kind of agree with Yankees here as well. Mets are paying a ton in luxury tax. I just think if they re willing to make a deal eating salary and saving talent they can do a bit better than Conforto. If no team is looking for primarily salary relief, then I’d say Confirto is better than unloading more talent.
Mets owner Steve Cohen: “I don’t think it’s sustainable for the long term to be losing the type of money I’m losing.”
I’m not sure how you can reconcile that with your assertion that ‘spending money is meaningless.’
The pockets are deep, but not infinite.
He’s trying to build a brand and win back the fan base. He’s willing to spend to do that and perhaps down the road he will ease up.
It’s an established pro sports team in the largest market in the US. There is no brand to build.
With how insanely wealthy he is and amount already spent, I don’t see taking on Conforto’s contract as where he draws the line. If anything he’s already spent so much the ROI of absorbing Conforto’s contract and the tax hit is an excellent hedge on the amount already invested into the roster.
How much do you think actually comes out of his pocket? The Mets do have a revenue stream. He is worth around 20 billion dollars. If he spent 100 million dollars of his own money every year, do you think it even affects him at all? An average investor with that money takes home 2 billion a year in interest. He’s no average investor. This is what he enjoys. He’s going to spend his money.
Yeah he’s on a different level even for a pro sports team owner. They re already way into luxury tax, skimping now would actually be kind of foolish. It would be him not protecting the investment he has already made. If they make the wild card that extra revenue would pay for Conforto alone. If they were to advance its just further ROI for what he’s already put into team.
Seems a little curious unless they don’t expect Marte back any time soon.
If the Mets could trade marte to the Yankees for nothing, who says no.
Yankees. They already have Grisham, Jones, and Cabrera who all can play OF. The roster spot is worth more than Marte.
Full circle.
Extremely streaky. But certainly better than their current options with Marte timetable unclear
Marte is unreliable and he can be the 4th OF and a bat off the bench. Bring Conforto home. Change of scenery and a playoff chase May do the trick.
God no!
Thought better than Stewart, there has to be better options. Trade for a right handed bat than a reunion with Conforto. Dude just hasn’t been same since injury.
Think of the clubhouse boost a reunion would be
I hope this doesn’t happen. They used to bat him 4th and he’d strikeout or pop up whenever guys were on. I vividly remember that in 2021, the Mets were in first place and were about to play 13 games agaisnt the Dodgers and Giants straight. Conforto came back from an injury for the first game of that 13 game head to head. Rojas placed him in the fourth hole. The Mets proceeded to go 1-12 in those 13 games, with their lowest RISP numbers all year. Everyone was wondering what the issue was. It was clear and obvious. Through Conforto’s whole career he never could hit in the clutch. He gets hits/home runs in blowouts or when the team is 10 games out of the playoffs in September. Its no shock that every year that he was on the team except for 2015 (2016 he was sent up and down and I believe he was on the IL by seasons end) that the Mets missed the playoffs. 2022, the year after Conforto was gone they won 101 games. Conforto kills any chances of a team going on a big run and any fan who thinks otherwise is delusional. Check out his baseball reference numbers when hes up and the game is within 1 or 2 runs and then compare his stats to blowouts, some of the worst stats that I’ve ever seen in the clutch
I remember an epic walk off against the nationals in 2019.
Five years ago. That’s a baseball eternity.
@mikefichera his “epic” walkoff wasn’t epic at all. It was bases loaded and nobody out. The outfield had to play in because it was bottom of the 9th and a tie game. A sac fly loses the game. He hit a pop up to the outfield that easily could have beem caught if it wasn’t for the situation
@mikefichera I was actually mistaken. The walkoff I was thinking of was vs another team, not the Nats. I was thinking of a different walk off that he hit
One player can’t cause a team to miss the playoffs and be horrible
I remember him sticking his elbow over the plate to prompt a controversial walk-off hbp more recently than that.
Like no other player has ever done the same. Right.
Why? Why? There are better ways to go. They already have JBJ waiting in the wings!
Conforto has low trade value….dont expect to get a top prospect Giants….
CBeisbol
You sped
Your comments are garbage.
DFA Yaz if we can’t find a partner. Time to play for the future. Matos could use the rest of the year for more seasoning.
How Conforting
A lottery ticket minor leaguer for Conforto, Taylor “Lefty Piece” Rogers, and $5 million.
Who says no?
I’m sure you’ll be fine In your safe space.
Never get out of your comfort zone only people would do that
Cute seeing Met fans all excited about a useless wild card when in fact they will be going home immediately once the postseason starts.
TradeAcuna: It’s even cuter seeing you with your panties in a bunch, repeatedly opening your mouth and inserting your foot, because the Braves suck and the Mets are beating them like a drum right now. OMG!
And there’s nothing useless about a wild card, as we saw with the Phillies in 2022 and the Diamondbacks and Rangers last year.
Shut up, assume the position, and take your losing like a man.
TradeAcuna, I guess you said the same thing about Arizona and Texas last year.
GIANTS ARE A JOKE! Watching this Colorado game & Giants get a lead off triple, only to watch the next 3 guys strike out in order. Freaking embarrassing. This is why I don’t pay to go to Giants games anymore. Players are soft & lack toughness!
Rookie Tyler Fitzgerald. 7 homers in 8 games. Rookie. They’re ahead 8-3. But BA would have left because they blew a lead off triple cuz they’re “soft”. Damn I wish I was there to see Fitzgerald. You know who else leaves games early. Ask DodgersVictoryAgain. Btw Dodger Victory. Please remember to post when the Dodgers fail to win the TRUE World Series….Again. Maybe BA and DVA can exchange phone numbers and have a whine fest in November.
It’s now 11-3. BA, please remind us of that blown triple. That’s all I can think about. Do you realize how many of us wish we were at this game? And how one of us is SOFT and is glad they didn’t pay to go? Change your username to StayAway.
Agreed. Giants are a joke lol. And I love it
The Dodger punch line is coming again this September!
Hey! By all means, enjoy your satisfaction!
My personal experience is that the joy of a championship endures, perhaps a lifetime.
Don’t read so much into it. Enjoy the long days of summer!
Why not just wait until he gets released and sign him for the minimum? Also, if he returned to the Mets – I have no doubt he win them at least two playoff games.
Meanwhile, failing to acquire Jesse Winker will cost them two games in their upcoming series with WSH.
Please oh please take Conforto. In fact, howzabout a Conforto-Flores twofer reunion? We’ll take absolutely anything in return. Or nothing. Just take them. Please.
Conforto and a prospect if they take the whole salary.
Or add Snell and his whole salary for a bag o chips. Big ol dumpy and move on. Good luck Mets!
Giants need to trade every veteran for whatever they can get at this point. I do like the look of the future outfield with Lee Matos and Ramos but the infield looks dire at best unless Fitzgerald really manages to become the second coming of young A-Rod and the rotation’s future may be bright as well with Webb Birdsong Winn (pending recovery) Black and Roupp hopefully a few of those younger arms work out and they can supplement with a vet or two if the team becomes relevant in the next couple of seasons.
They’d have to throw in Snell
Putting yourself in a bubble is only a disservice to yourself. Grow a pair and read comments you don’t like.
In what year did you lose your pair??