December 10: The Dodgers formally introduced Conforto’s signing at the moment.
December 8: The Dodgers signed a left-handed hitting outfielder represented by Scott Boras tonight. No, not that one. Shortly earlier than the Mets signed Juan Soto to a seismic contract, the Dodgers agreed to a cope with Michael Conforto, per a report from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Conforto’s cope with L.A. is a one-year pact value $17MM, in line with ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Instances experiences the deal contains deferred cash and an $8.5MM signing bonus.
Conforto, 32 in March, was chosen by the Mets tenth general within the 2014 draft and emerged as an affect bat for the membership early in his profession. In his first six seasons as an enormous leaguer, Conforto slashed an unimaginable .259/.358/.484 with a wRC+ of 128. Conforto made an All-Star look, slugged 118 homers in 632 video games, and established himself as probably the greatest younger offensive gamers within the NL.
Sadly, nonetheless, Conforto was dogged by shoulder points early in his profession that got here to a head following a down 2021 season (104 wRC+). Conforto declined the Qualifying Provide and entered free company in line for a stable payday, however required surgical procedure in the course of the 2021-22 lockout and in the end didn’t signal a contract for the 2022 season whereas he recuperated.
Regardless of lacking your complete 2022 season, Conforto inked a powerful two-year, $36MM cope with the Giants, one in all eight contracts by former GM Farhan Zaidi that included an opt-out. After posting a league common 99 wRC+ in his first yr with the Giants, Conforto selected to not decide out of the $18MM he was owed for 2024.
Conforto improved to a 112 wRC+ in 2024, together with a 137 surge over the season’s last two months. He confirmed a reverse platoon break up, beating up on lefties extra so than righties. He additionally managed a 133 wRC+ away from Oracle Park, a spot identified to suppress offense.
Over the 2 years Conforto has been a Large, Oracle Park has been the second-worst park in baseball for offense, forward of solely T-Cellular Park in Seattle. Dodger Stadium, in the meantime, is true round league common because the seventeenth greatest park within the majors for offense.
Whereas the Dodgers are absolutely hoping that Conforto unlocks one thing nearer to the shape he confirmed all through his 20s in New York with them this yr, even the 105 wRC+ he’s supplied over the previous three seasons would assist to bolster the membership’s lackluster outfield combine. Dodgers outfielders mixed for a wRC+ of simply 101 final yr, a determine that’s drastically improved by contributions from Teoscar Hernandez and Mookie Betts. Hernandez is presently a free agent, nonetheless, and whereas Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic experiences that the Dodgers stay in on him even after signing Conforto, there’s no assure that he’ll be in a Dodgers uniform in 2025. With Betts ticketed for an infield position subsequent season, that left the Dodgers with a projected outfield of Tommy Edman, James Outman, and Andy Pages for subsequent season. Pages’s 100 wRC+ led that trio in 2024, and even a comparatively mediocre season for Conforto could be an enormous improve over Outman’s ghastly 54 wRC+ in 53 video games final yr.
With the addition of Conforto, RosterResource tasks the Dodgers for a $326MM payroll in 2025 that completely matches their 2024 payroll, although that projection doesn’t think about deferred cash. Regardless, that’s not anticipated to forestall president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and his entrance workplace from spending this winter. Each indication has been that the Dodgers are keen and in a position to improve their payroll nicely past final yr’s determine with a view to land the precise gamers, which is definitely a aid for followers given the variety of holes that stay on the roster. The Dodgers might use extra bullpen assist even after reuniting with Blake Treinen earlier this night, would profit from both re-signing Hernandez or including one other bat to their lineup, and at minimal they seem more likely to reunite with Clayton Kershaw to bolster their rotation even after touchdown Blake Snell final month.
