New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson appeared Wednesday night in a special edition of Mets Hot Stove and told the SNY crew he hopes to hold serious talks with the contract extension Michael Conforto.
Sandy Alderson hopes to hold serious contract extension talks with Michael Conforto and hopes they can keep Conforto long-term #Mets
– Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) December 16, 2020
Alderson also added that he hopes to keep Conforto and have him close in the long run.
“I’m sure we’ll keep those conversations going,” Alderson said. “I hope they don’t just involve metaphors of fruits and vegetables. I hope we’ll have serious conversations.”
The 28-year-old enters the final year of his contract, where he will have to earn $ 11 million before reaching 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 major payday as he has become one of the bright young stars of the baseball game in recent years.
In an abbreviated 2020 season, Conforto posted a 2.3 bWAR, while getting nine homers and driving in 31 powered vehicles. He was also seventh in the National League with a batting average of .322 and a base percentage of .415 and a batting percentage of .515. Conforto recently won the honors of the All-MLB second team and is set to receive the award Thurman Munson Award in February.
Before the Covid season, Conforto reached the top level in 2019 with 33 homers and 92 high runs. This also comes after he made his first All-Star appearance and hit 55 homers and drove 150 RBI between 2017-18. What’s even more impressive is that Conforto has returned even stronger after shoulder surgery in late 2017.
Conforto was a draft pick in the first round of the Mets in 2014 outside the state of Oregon. He then advanced through the minor leagues to make his MLB debut 13 months later, in July 2015, and helped the Mets boost their lineup.
Conforto would make major league history a few months later becoming the first debutant since Andruw Jones in 1996 to reach two homers in a World Series game.
“I think Michael likes to play in New York. He’s been a great player since we raised him and I hope he stays with us, “said Alderson.
Expanding Conforto and making him a long-term franchise player should be a priority for the Mets before he reaches free agency next year. It is certainly a very promising sign that Alderson hopes this will be on the organization’s agenda in the near future.
