It was hard to imagine a headline like this one year ago at this time. Michael Conforto had just come off of a 2015 season where he batted .270/.335/.506 in 56 games with an OPS+ of 130. He also became just the second player in Mets history to homer twice in one World Series game, and the first rookie to do that in 19 years. It looked like left field would be Conforto’s for a very, very long time.
Then came last season. Conforto under-performed all expectations in 2016, by batting just .220/.310/.414 with a 92 OPS+ in 109 games. The same guy who started a World Series game just months before was suddenly sent down to Triple-A. Then the Mets acquired Jay Bruce, leaving him without a spot to play regularly. And since the Mets have not been able to trade either Bruce or Curtis Granderson this offseason, the predicament still stands.
This isn’t to say that Michael Conforto’s career is a lost cause or that he can’t get back to regular major league starting job again. He’s still only 23, so that obviously can happen. But since he doesn’t have a regular spot to play in the majors this year, the Mets have no choice but to keep Conforto in the minor leagues for the time being.
Putting him in a bench slot — or forcing him to make a transition to first base — could stunt his growth and actually be counterproductive in unleashing his potential. He will not have a chance to hone his skills on the bench. Instead, unless an injury or a trade opens up an outfield spot, he should continue doing this exclusively in Triple-A.
It’s not ideal for someone who has spent as much time in the majors as Conforto has to be playing for an extended period in the minor leagues. And if a spot in the outfield opens up due to an injury or a DFA, and Conforto is doing well in the minor leagues, he deserves and would be well-suited in regaining his starting spot. But while he’s in Las Vegas, he will be able to continue to improve and develop into the perennial All-Star talent everyone believes he can be. Conforto won’t be able to do something like that on the bench in the majors.
