Mets manager Buck Showalter isn’t supposed to talk about current MLB players due to the owner-induced lockout, but he let slip quite a tidbit last week when mentioning a possible reunion with Michael Conforto.
The Mets are expected to do a bit more spending once the lockout ends — whenever that might be — particularly another outfielder to provide some more depth.
Conforto was originally believed to be long gone after turning down the team’s qualifying offer back in November, allowing him to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent; making the once-unthinkable prospect of him leaving the likeliest result.
The 28-year-old right-fielder was on track to be a Mets lifer — the homegrown product bursting onto the scene in 2015 and overcoming early struggles to put together an impressive four-year stretch from 2017-2020. In 467 games, he slashed .265/.369/.495 (.864 OPS) with 162-game averages of 34 home runs and 95 RBI. A shortened 2020 season offered even more promise when he posted a .927 OPS with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 54 games.
From looking at a huge payday from the Mets, Conforto’s value tumbled mightily in 2021, slashing .232/.344/.384 (.729 OPS) with 14 home runs and 55 RBI in 125 games. Granted, those previous four seasons shouldn’t be disregarded — and interest from around the league before the lockout certainly suggests that.
Even during that down season, Conforto posted strong numbers when it came to his walk and chase rates, whiff percentage, barrel percentage, and expected weighted on-base average, which is a formula consisting of exit velocity, and launch angle, among others. Therefore, it’s not all too farfetched to deem 2021 as an anomaly rather than a sign of things to come.
But the Mets looked as though they had already moved on from Conforto when, just before the lockout, they spent big money to bring in Starling Marte and Mark Canha, who were perceived to be two-thirds of the team’s starting outfield alongside Brandon Nimmo.
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The universal designated hitter, which will be introduced to the National League this season, has opened up a potential avenue for a reunion with Conforto. Granted, it won’t be as easy as platooning Conforto and Canha between right-field and DH stints.
The Mets are facing a potential logjam at the DH spot with Robinson Cano, Dominic Smith, and JD Davis on the roster.
Back from suspension, Cano and Jeff McNeil will likely be battling for the starting second-baseman job at spring training, with the loser hoping that the DH role will supply them with consistent at-bats. Smith — who is behind Pete Alonso on the first-base depth chart — and Davis, now behind the newly-acquired Eduardo Escobar at third, will be thinking the same thing.
A return of Conforto would certainly make things more difficult there unless the Mets are aggressive with both Smith and Davis on the trade market.
New York still needs starting pitching help and a package featuring both bats — which have shown upside in recent years — is a solid starter in trade conversations. That would free space to get Conforto back in the mix while not taking at-bats away from the likes of Canha or McNeil.
And the Mets can never have enough big bats to choose from.
