The Mets’ playoff hopes are fading, meaning the season could be coming to a close in the next two and a half weeks. Does that mean Michael Conforto’s tenure in New York is also reaching an end?
The pending free agent admitted that his uncertain future has been on his mind at times, and there is no telling what the offseason will bring.
“I definitely have thought about it, but the options are wide open,” Conforto said when speaking on the field with reporters before Tuesday’s loss to the Cardinals. “Very well could not be the end of my time here. It may be, but it very well couldn’t be.”
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It hasn’t been the best season for Conforto in his contract year. The 28-year-old is batting just .227 with 12 home runs and a .720 OPS across 357 at-bats so far, and has been just barely above league average with a 101 OPS+. He has started to come alive of late, batting .306 with an .846 OPS over his last 13 games, but overall, his potential final season with the Mets has been a disappointment.
“I will say I grew up here, I learned a lot here,” Conforto said. “My professional career was here. Like I said, I’m just focused on finishing this season strong with my teammates, hopefully not in early October. We want to make that postseason push.”
Conforto’s OPS would be a career low, as the former All-Star has dropped off considerably from the .322 batting average he posted last season, and the 61 combined home runs he hit in 2018 and 2019. New York could look at his 2021 campaign as an anomaly and extend a qualifying offer or a multi-year deal, or could wish Conforto and his agent Scott Boras well in free agency.
Conforto is trying to focus on continuing his strong finish to the season and helping the Mets to the postseason, though it’s admittedly difficult not to think about where he’ll be in 2022.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Conforto said. “For right now, I’m focused on the day-to-day, each at-bat, each pitch, and we’ll see what happens at the end of the year.”
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