New York Mets reportedly interested in reunion with SF Giants outfielder

If the SF Giants do decide to sell, veteran outfielder Michael Conforto would be one of the most likely names to be moved. One team that could be a landing spot is his former team: The New York Mets.

New York Mets reportedly interested in reunion with SF Giants outfielder

Mike Puma of The New York Post confirms that the Mets are looking to add a left-handed bat and have spoken to the Giants about a reunion. New York is in a much better position than the Giants as they hold the second Wild Card spot with a 54-48 record.

Perhaps, it is mildly surprising that they are as competitive as they have been this year. The Mets expected to go through a soft rebuild after slumping to a 75-87 record last season. This was after putting together one of the most expensive rosters in baseball history.

New York even moved both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, respectively, before the 2023 trade deadline. At the end of the season, they cleaned house by moving on from Buck Showalter as manager and Billy Eppler resigning from his post as general manager. David Stearns took over as team president of baseball operations with Carlos Mendoza becoming the team's skipper.

The Mets could use another outfielder. Harrison Bader and Brandon Nimmo have held down two of the three spots in the outfield. On the other hand, Starling Marte has missed some time with a knee injury. The addition of Conforto would help to bolster that group.

The left-handed bat spent his first seven years in a Mets uniform before joining the Giants prior to the 2023 season. He earned one NL All-Star bid in 2017 while setting a career-high in home runs with 33 in 2019.

Conforto made a name for himself during his time in New York. That has not translated to his time with the Giants. While he has been a quality bat, he does not look like the same player he was earlier in his career. Overall, he is slashing .226/.298/.415 (103 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 40 RBI, and 29 runs in 299 plate appearances in 2024. This includes a 9.0 percent walk rate, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, and a .164 ISO.

The nine-year veteran is a streaky hitter and continues to demonstrate modest power. Though, the .298 on-base percentage is a sharp decline from his .349 career mark.

Conforto is in the final year of a two-year, $36 million pact. He is not in the team's long-term plans and will likely be moved either before the trade deadline or could be placed on waivers in August. The Giants might be motivated to shift some of his remaining salary to another team, but the return is going to be minimal regardless. Perhaps, opening up that roster spot for another player is more important than anything else.