The Mets will have plenty of decisions to make during the offseason, especially if they end up missing the playoffs with their odds dwindling by the day.
One of those decisions, regardless of how the season ends, will be the future of outfielder Michael Conforto, who is a pending free agent this offseason.
According to MLB.com, Conforto said he knows his time in New York is very much up in the air.
“I definitely have thought about (free agency),” Conforto said. “The options are wide open. It 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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Conforto has been a regular in the Mets’ lineup since 2015, when he was called up as a 22-year-old midway through the season, and he helped the team reach the World Series.
Injuries have also defined part of Conforto’s time with the Mets. He played just 109 games in each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and he missed time in 2021 due to a hamstring injury.
For the most past, Conforto has been productive when he’s been on the field. He’s a career .255 hitter with 130 home runs, and he brings an excellent glove to the outfield. But his contract year has gone far from planned at the plate.
Conforto is hitting .227 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI in 2021, though his second half has been far more productive than his first. At the All-Star break, Conforto was hitting .202 with three home runs in 53 games. In the second half, he’s hit .249 with nine home runs.
His late-season surge could help his case to get paid on the open market, and it will be on the Mets and Conforto to see if he’s a part of the club’s future.
“I’m just trying to build upon the things that I’ve done the last couple months,” Conforto said. “At the end of the season, I think we can reflect on whether or not that sample size is big enough. But right now, I’m just trying to put together quality at-bats to help the team win. Because we need wins right now. So that’s where I’m focused — not necessarily on what’s going to happen in the offseason. I believe I’m just getting started in my career.”
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com.
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