Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto would be one of the players most likely to be traded if the San Francisco Giants were to decide to sell, with a possible destination being his former team, the New York Mets.
New York Post reporter Mike Puma confirmed that the Mets are considering acquiring the left-handed hitter and have spoken with the Giants about reuniting. New York is in a much better position than the Giants to win the second wild card spot with a 54-48 record.
Maybe the Mets won’t be as competitive this year. They were expecting a gradual rebuild after going 75-87 last season, and that was after assembling the most expensive roster in baseball history.
New York traded both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, respectively, before the 2023 trade deadline. At the end of the season, they revamped the team by replacing manager Buck Showalter and having Billy Eppler step down as general manager. David Stearns became team president and Carlos Mendoza became the team’s captain.
The Mets need another outfielder – Harrison Bader and Brandon Nimmo handle two of the three outfield positions – while Starling Marte has been out for some time with a knee injury, so the addition of Conforto would help bolster the outfield.
The left-handed hitter spent his first seven years in a Mets uniform before joining the Giants ahead of the 2023 season. He made one National League All-Star appearance in 2017 and hit a career-high 33 home runs in 2019.
Conforto made a name for himself in New York, but didn’t capitalize on it during his time with the Giants. He’s a quality hitter, but he doesn’t look like the player he was earlier in his career. In 2024, he’s hitting .226/.298/.415 (wRC+103) with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and 29 runs in 299 plate appearances. This includes a 9.0% walk rate, 24.1% strikeout rate and an ISO of .164.
The nine-year veteran is an inconsistent hitter who continues to flash modest power, but his .298 on-base percentage is down significantly from his career .349.
Conforto is in the final year of his two-year, $36 million contract. He’s not in the team’s long-term plans and will likely be moved before the trade deadline or placed on waivers in August. The Giants may be willing to move some of Conforto’s remaining salary elsewhere, but any return would be minimal either way. They’re probably more interested in freeing up that roster spot for another player than anything else.