All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto is set to join the crowded free market this offseason. Conforto previously received an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the New York Mets but decided to decline it in favor of testing free agency, according to multiple sources.
There is still a chance that the Mets end up convincing Conforto to sign a long-term extension that will keep him in New York for 2022 and beyond. If that doesn’t happen, however, the franchise will get a compensatory pick because they had the qualifying offer rejected.
The Mets will now wait for the response from pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who also got the $18.4 million qualifying offer. The franchise has better chances of having the deal accepted by Syndergaard, considering the 29-year-old struggled with injuries recently and played only two games in the past two years.
Michael Conforto’s decision to choose a free agency is somewhat interesting considering that he had a down year in 2021. He only batted .232, which was his lowest since 2016, while also finishing the campaign with just 14 homers and 55 RBIs. Conforto probably hopes that his impressive outing during the shortened 2020 MLB season, which saw him post a .322 batting average, is still fresh in people’s memories and will help him land a big contract.
Conforto, a first-round selection in the 2014 MLB Draft, spent his entire MLB career with the Mets organization. He has an All-Star appearance from 2017, while his stats in the majors include .255 batting average, 132 homers, and 396 RBIs.
