New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson appeared on a special edition of Mets Hot Stove on Wednesday night and told the SNY crew that he expects to have serious contract extension talks with outfielder Michael Conforto.
Sandy Alderson expects to have serious contract extension talks with Michael Conforto and he hopes they are able to retain Conforto for the long term #Mets
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) December 16, 2020
Alderson also added that he hopes to retain Conforto and have him around in the long-term.
“I’m sure we’ll have those conversations,” Alderson said.”I hope they don’t just involved fruit and vegetable metaphors. I expect that we’ll have some serious conversations.”
The 28-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, where he is set to make $11 million before hitting the free agent market for the first time in his career in 2022. As a client of super agent Scott Boras, Conforto is expected to receive a significant payday as he has blossomed into one of the bright young stars around the game of baseball over the past few years.
In a shortened 2020 season, Conforto posted a bWAR of 2.3, while hitting nine home runs and driving in 31 RBIs. He also was seventh in the National League with a .322 batting average, and recorded an on-base percentage of .415 and a slugging percentage of .515. Conforto recently earned second team All-MLB honors and is set to receive the Thurman Munson Award in February.
Prior to the Covid season, Conforto set a career-high in 2019 with 33 homers and 92 RBIs. This also comes after he made his first All-Star appearance and hit 55 homers and drove in 150 RBIs from 2017-18. What’s even more impressive is that Conforto has come back even stronger following shoulder surgery at the end of 2017.
Conforto was a first-round draft pick of the Mets back in 2014 out of Oregon State. He then sped through the minor leagues to make his MLB debut 13 months later in July of 2015 and helped the Mets in their pennant push.
Conforto would make major league history a few months later becoming the first rookie since Andruw Jones in 1996 to hit two home runs in a World Series game.
“I think Michael likes to play in New York. He’s been a great player ever since we brought him up and I hope he stays with us,” said Alderson.
Extending Conforto and making him a long-term franchise player should be a priority for the Mets before he hits free agency next year. It’s certainly a very promising sign that Alderson expects this to be on the organization’s agenda in the near future.
