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Michael Conforto

NL East Notes: Conforto, Martin, Haseley

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Extension talks between Michael Conforto and the Mets “have yet to grow serious,” according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, who also reports that the two sides never got to the point where numbers were exchanged.  An earlier report two weeks ago stated that the Mets made an initial offer to Conforto, though both items aren’t necessarily contradictory — it could be that the Mets never got an official counter-offer back from Conforto’s representatives at the Boras Corporation, or perhaps the Mets’ offer was more exploratory in nature.  Regardless, it remains to be seen if any negotiating will take place before Conforto hits the free agent market after the season.  The outfielder told DiComo, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, and other reporters today that he was “not interested in really talking about” the subject any further, and agent Scott Boras told Davidoff in a text message that “as is the custom when the season begins, [we are] focusing on the performance of the players.”

In other news, Conforto revealed that he and his fiancee tested positive for the coronavirus during the offseason, about two weeks before Conforto reported to Spring Training.  His fiancee suffered some moderate symptoms while Conforto didn’t suffer much beyond some shortness of breath.

More from around the NL East…

  • Braves reliever Chris Martin left today’s game due to an unspecified finger issue, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien).  Martin pitched to five batters during the eighth inning, sandwiching two outs around three consecutive singles to Phillies batters that resulted in the game’s winning run.  It remains to be seen how serious Martin’s problem could be, and an absence would be a tough loss to the bullpen considering Martin’s 2.45 ERA and outstanding 30.93% strikeout rate over 36 2/3 innings in an Atlanta uniform from 2019-20.
  • After leaving Thursday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring, Adam Haseley was able to return to the Phillies’ starting lineup today, collecting a single in two plate appearances.  As Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, Haseley seems to have the edge over switch-hitter Roman Quinn in what should ostensibly be a platoon in center field, but manager Joe Girardi told Lauber and other reporters that “there’s no exact science to” the duo’s usage.  “If Q has some good days, or one of them gets hot, I’ll play them….Q contributed the other day.  They’re both going to have to help out,” Girardi said.

Latest On Talks Between Mets, Michael Conforto

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The chances of the Mets extending shortstop Francisco Lindor before his deadline on Thursday appear slim. In further unwelcome news for the Mets, it also doesn’t look as if they’ll prevent outfielder Michael Conforto from reaching free agency next winter.

While Conforto hasn’t set a season-opening deadline for negotiations, the Boras Corporation client and the Mets never came close to reaching an extension during spring training, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. As a result, “there is a much better chance” that Conforto will test free agency than not after the season, according to Puma.

As things stand, Conforto looks as if he’ll reach the open market as one of the premier hitters available. Conforto, who just turned 28 on March 1, has been a consistently above-average offensive player and sometimes a force since he debuted in 2015. The former 10th overall pick owns a lifetime line of .259/.358/.484 (127 wRC+) with 118 home runs across 2,501 plate appearances. Last year, albeit just a 60-game campaign, was the best yet on a per-PA basis for Conforto, who took 233 trips to the plate and slashed .322/.412/.515 with nine homers. He benefited from an unsustainable .412 batting average on balls in play – up 107 points from his career .305 mark – but still posted an elite .401 expected weighted on-base average and finished 13th in the majors in wRC+ (157).

Along with his offensive prowess, Conforto has shown himself to be a competent defender in the bigs. While he has been out of place in center field (minus-15 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-4.3 Ultimate Zone Rating), it has been a much different story in the corners. Between left and right, Conforto has notched 17 DRS and a 9.6 UZR in just over 3,700 innings of work.

Considering Conforto’s well-rounded game, not to mention his relative youth, he should do rather well on his next deal. A deal worth $100MM or more may be within reach if he continues to produce this year, but it remains to be seen if it will be New York or another club that ponies up for him.

NL East Notes: Mets, Conforto, Phillies, Marlins

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With the Mets still engaged in extension talks with Francisco Lindor, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that the team is waiting to resolve things with Lindor before continuing negotiations with their other major extension candidate, Michael Conforto.  Lindor has made it clear that he wants to reach a new deal by Opening Day, whereas Conforto and agent Scott Boras have each expressed a bit more flexibility to talk during the season, though Conforto has said he would “ideally” prefer to also have a potential new contract finalized before games get underway.

More from the NL East…

  • The Phillies announced this afternoon they’ve reassigned outfielder Odúbel Herrera to the alternate training site. Adam Haseley has made the Opening Day roster. Herrera and Haseley were among the group competing for the Phils’ center field job. The latter was set back by an early-March groin strain but has apparently made a quick enough recovery to be ready for Thursday’s season opener.
  • In other Phillies news, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer) that top prospect Spencer Howard will work primarily out of the bullpen in 2021. It’s not a permanent switch, as Dombrowski stressed the organization sees Howard as a starting pitcher long-term. The Phils are being particularly cautious in monitoring the young righty’s innings after he worked just 71 minor-league frames in 2019 and was limited to 24.1 MLB innings during last year’s shortened season.
  • The Marlins have sold the naming rights to their ballpark, Danilo J. Santos of the Fish Stripes blog reported (Twitter link).  Mortgage company loanDepot purchased the rights, and thus the former Marlins Park will now be known as loanDepot Park, according to Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater (via Twitter).  Terms of the multi-year contract haven’t been announced, though as the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes, the news concludes the Marlins’ long search for a naming-rights partner that has been ongoing since the stadium opened in 2012.

Mets Make Initial Extension Offers To Lindor, Conforto

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MARCH 25: Lindor and the Mets remain in talks, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, who tweets that “it feels like there’s a bit of optimism” they’ll reach an agreement.

MARCH 22: As of now, there isn’t much optimism that the Mets and Conforto will reach a deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

MARCH 21: Conforto told reporters (including Mike Puma of the New York Post) that negotiations were ongoing, though didn’t commit on any specific details.  In regards to any deadline on talks, Conforto said “Ideally, I would not like” negotiations to extend beyond Opening Day.

MARCH 19: The Mets have made an initial extension offer to shortstop Francisco Lindor and to right fielder Michael Conforto, reports SNY’s Andy Martino. No deal is close with either player at this time. The New York Post’s Mike Puma tweets that there’s no real movement in talks at this point.

The initial offer to Lindor, according to Martino, clocked in slightly below $300MM in guaranteed money. Lindor and agent David Meter unsurprisingly countered with a number “well over” $300MM in total guarantees. While the team’s first offering didn’t begin with a three, Martino adds that the Mets are “almost certainly” willing to go to that $300MM mark to sign Lindor.

That said, a $300MM mark as long seemed something of a floor for Lindor in extension talks. Manny Machado received ten years and $300MM from the Padres two years ago — albeit at a younger age. In the 24 months since that time, we’ve seen Bryce Harper (13 years, $330MM), Mike Trout (10 years, $360MM on top of his contract’s two preexisting years), Mookie Betts (12 years, $365MM) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340MM) eclipse the $300MM mark as well.

The length of the Mets’ offer and Lindor’s counter isn’t known, though given his age (27), it stands to reason that he could also be in line for a deal spanning a decade or more at $30MM-plus annually. The Harper and Tatis deals don’t come with that $30MM AAV, but that’s by design in Harper’s case, as he took a longer deal to deflate the AAV and reduce the Phillies’ luxury hit. The Tatis contract, meanwhile, includes all of his arbitration seasons, which naturally suppresses the annual rate. A Lindor deal, assuming it begins in 2022 — he’s already signed for the ’21 season — would be solely be buying out free-agent seasons.

There are no details known yet on the Mets’ offer to Conforto, though as a Scott Boras-represented All-Star who is set to hit free agency as well this winter, history suggests a deal could be tough to put together. It’s well documented that Boras clients largely tend to go to the open market, though the narrative that they “never” sign extensions is also something of an overstatement. Carlos Gomez, Carlos Gonzalez, Jered Weaver and Elvis Andrus all inked extensions in the early 2010s, and more recent examples include Stephen Strasburg, Jose Altuve (his second extension) and Xander Bogaerts. There’s certainly precedent for an extension, even if it’s not commonplace.

Lindor has made known that he prefers to cut off talks once the season begins, although Boras declined to state there was any such endpoint with regard to Conforto. Asked by Martino whether April 1 (Opening Day) was a firm deadline for a deal, he replied: “Michael is focused on the season and his performance. Not addressing any contract questions.” That deliberately vague answer doesn’t tip his hand one way or another, but it’s semi-notable that Boras chose not to limit the negotiation period to a confined window, as many players and agents seem to do. Also notable is the fact that the aforementioned Strasburg extension (seven years, $175MM) came in May 2016 — well after Opening Day.

Mets fans are strongly hoping to see one or both players extended beyond the 2021 season, although even if no deal comes together, it’s always possible the club could still pull off a deal in free agency next winter. The Mets needn’t look beyond their own division to see a prominent example of a star player who couldn’t come to terms on an extension with his club but ultimately stayed there via free agency: Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Quick Hits: Springer, Conforto, Straw, Greinke

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The Mets were a popular pick for outfielder George Springer before he signed a six-year, $150MM contract with the Blue Jays in January. Team president Sandy Alderson “suggested” on Monday that the Mets were willing to sign Springer for five years, not six, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alderson added that New York likely wouldn’t have been able to extend outfielder Michael Conforto had it signed Springer. “At some point, even Steve Cohen runs out of money,” Alderson said of the team’s owner. Conforto, who turned 28 today, is three years younger than Springer and coming off an even better season at the plate. He’s due to become a free agent next winter, but the Mets expect to begin talks on an extension sometime soon.

  • With Springer no longer in Houston, the Astros appear likely to turn to Myles Straw at center field to open the season. If the Straw experiment doesn’t work out, though, it’s probable that Chas McCormick will be their fallback plan at the position, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic writes. The 25-year-old has a better chance to make the team than veteran outfielder Steven Souza Jr., whom the Astros signed to a minor league deal, as he’s already on their 40-man roster and capable of playing center, Kaplan notes. McCormick impressed during his most recent minors action in 2019, when he slashed .269/.386/.432 with 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 448 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
  • Sticking with the Astros, ace Zack Greinke is entering the last season of his contract – his age-37 campaign – but is not thinking retirement, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com relays. Based on his performance in 2020, Greinke has plenty left in the tank. Although he posted a 4.03 ERA – one of the highest figures of his potential Hall of Fame career – Greinke registered a better 3.72 SIERA with a 24.5 percent strikeout rate and an elite 3.3 percent walk rate. Greinke also induced a fair amount of weak contact, evidenced in part by the 86.8 mph exit velocity hitters mustered against him.

East Notes: Mets, Orioles, Nationals

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Mets President Sandy Alderson said that he expects extension talks with Francisco Lindor and Michael Conforto to begin soon, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Both players are scheduled for free agency after the 2021 season. Lindor, for his part, has made clear that he will not negotiate an extension beyond opening day, so the window is now for Alderson and the Mets. Alderson also put forth Noah Syndergaard’s name as a potential extension candidate as well, notes Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). Syndergaard, of course, is on the way back from Tommy John surgery and won’t likely appear until mid-season, but he will also be a free agent at year’s end. Extending those three would certainly cost a chunk of change, but the Mets do have roughly $100MM coming off their payroll next offseason. Interestingly, Marcus Stroman was not mentioned as an extension candidate. His $18.9MM salary could help provide the necessary raises next season for Lindor, Conforto, and Syndergaard. While we’re here, let’s check in with some other clubs in the East…

  • Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is giving up switch-hitting to bat lefty full-time, writes Rich Dubroff of Baltimorebaseball.com. After a horrendous 2019, Mullins bounced back somewhat in 2020, doing enough to stay on the Major League roster to appear in 48 games and 153 plate appearances with a palatable .271/.315/.407 slash line. Mullins is trying to make the Orioles roster as a fourth outfielder, though there are certainly more at-bats available if he proves capable. Giving up his right-handed swing could force him into a more straight platoon, but he hasn’t been helped by his work on the short side of that split anyhow. For his career, Mullins has hit just .146 as a right-hander with a 26 wRC+ (versus 90 wRC+ as a lefty). The split was even more pronounced last season when he earned a 118 wRC+ as a left-handed hitter versus 34 wRC+ from the right side. If nothing else, Mullins should be able to simplify his routine by focusing on one swing.
  • Erick Fedde may have stumbled upon a solution to his wandering fastball command, writes Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. In his first start of the spring, Fedde turned to his cutter, a pitch that has long eluded him as he has tried to establish himself as a Major League pitcher. Fedde’s cutter did not help his cause in either 2018 or 2020, per Fangraphs pitch values, though in 2019 it was his best offering. Fedde is competing for the Nats fifth starter job, though he’s not likely to win the job out of camp. With one option remaining, the Nationals have more roster flexibility with Fedde than with his competitors Joe Ross and Austin Voth. For Fedde to stick long-term, he probably needs both his sinking fastball and his cutter to work with more consistency.

Mets, Michael Conforto Avoid Arbitration

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The Mets and outfielder Michael Conforto have avoided arbitration with a $12.25MM settlement, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Conforto is a client of the Boras corporation.

Conforto, soon to turn 28, has been a terrific offensive performer since he debuted in 2015, but he found another gear last season. Across 233 plate appearances, Conforto slashed .322/.412/.515 with nine home runs. Although he did benefit from a .412 batting average on balls in play, Conforto’s 157 wRC+ was nevertheless good for the seventh-highest mark in the National League.

The upcoming season could be the last as a Met for Conforto, who’s slated to reach free agency next winter. But Conforto has expressed interest in a contract extension in the past, and team president Sandy Alderson said in November he expects to “broach” the topic of a new deal this offseason.

 

Alderson On Mets’ Front Office, Rojas, Cano, Conforto

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Newly named Mets president Sandy Alderson shed some light Monday on how the club will configure its front office and its coaching staff in 2021, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Tim Britton of The Athletic were among those to report. The Mets will not hire a president of baseball operations, according to Alderson, who also revealed that Luis Rojas will stay on as their manager.

There have been questions about who will run the Mets’ baseball ops since they parted ways with general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. They will name a GM to replace him, and they have already interviewed roughly a half-dozen candidates, according to Alderson (via Britton). It’s unclear which individuals are in the running to fill that role, but former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and current Mets senior vice president John Ricco are not among them. It’s also unknown how long the Mets plan on taking to hire a successor to Van Wagenen.

As for Rojas, he became the Mets’ manager under their prior regime, but he’s a longtime employee of the club who is familiar with Alderson from the latter’s previous run in the team’s front office. The 39-year-old managed the Mets to an underwhelming 26-34 record in 2020, but he’ll get an opportunity to right the ship next season.

Second baseman Robinson Cano was one of Rojas’ most productive players in 2020, but he won’t play next year after receiving a 162-game suspension without pay last week for performance-enhancing drugs. The Mets are not considering releasing Cano, who’s due $48MM from 2022-23, “at this point,” per Alderson (via DiComo). However, Alderson admitted that could change “down the road.”

Like Cano, outfielder Michael Conforto is facing an uncertain future with the Mets. Conforto, 27, only has one season of arbitration control left, though Alderson stated (per DiComo) that the club will approach his camp about a contract extension sometime in the coming months.

“Yes, at some point, I’m sure we will broach that topic and take their temperature, and see where those things stand,” Alderson said.

Conforto is coming off a career year in which he slashed .322/.412/.515 (157 wRC+) with nine home runs across 233 plate appearances.  Barring an extension, Conforto should make anywhere from $9MM to $13.6MM in arbitration.

Michael Conforto Done For Season

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The Mets have placed outfielder Michael Conforto on the injured list with hamstring tightness and recalled infielder Luis Guillorme, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. This will end Conforto’s season.

Plenty has gone wrong this year for the Mets, who entered the campaign with playoff aspirations but have since stumbled to a 25-31 record. But the Mets do boast one of the majors’ best offenses, ranking second in the league in wRC+ and 11th in runs, and Conforto’s a key reason for the success they’ve had at the plate. The 27-year-old was a quality hitter for the Mets from 2015-19, but he found another gear this season with a line of .322/.412/.515 (157 wRC+) and nine home runs across 233 plate appearances.

Conforto earned a prorated $9.7MM this season, and going forward, he has one more year of arbitration eligibility left. The Mets and soon-to-be team president Sandy Alderson will have to decide in the offseason whether to extend Conforto, who’s open to the possibility, trade him or let him play out his final year of team control.

Michael Conforto Remains Open To Extension Talks

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There are quite a lot of moving parts in Queens, but that hasn’t shaken the dedication of outfielder Michael Conforto. As MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports, Conforto remains interested in exploring a long-term contract to stay in New York.

Conforto acknowledged the obvious: the upcoming ownership transition has left him pondering “what kind of things are going to change and what this team’s going to look like when we come back.” But he says he’s going to stay focused on the present until the season concludes.

When it comes to his contractual future, Conforto made clear he’s excited to continue playing for the Mets. “I love it here,” he said. “This is everything I know.”

That’s not to say that a new deal is assured. For one thing, not much groundwork has been laid. Outside of “a really, really brief and preliminary chat this spring,” says Conforto, the sides haven’t talked extension.

At this point, the Mets will need to come with a big offer to lock in Conforto for the foreseeable future. The 27-year-old is headed for one more trip through the arbitration process this fall. He’s sure to command a big raise on his present $8MM salary. Through 229 plate appearances, Conforto carries a monster .328/.419/.525 batting line.

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