Could a left-handed power bat shake up the standings by joining a member of the American League East? Former New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto is drawing interest as one of the last notable names on the free-agent market.
The left-handed slugger hit .232 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 55 RBIs in 125 games a season ago. He's a career .255 hitter with 132 homers in 757 games. At 29-years-old, he should have plenty of juice left.
Conforto would have been signed months ago but suffered a shoulder injury in January and reports claimed he was going to miss the entire season. His agent Scott Boras is walking the claim back and now saying "there is very strong interest by some very good teams."
With the conclusion of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, Conforto is free to sign anywhere without draft compensation attached, making him more appealing.
"They’re all in the United States except one," Boras told The New York Posts' Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman in reference to calls about Conforto. The super agent not-so-subtly connected the Toronto Blue Jays to his client.
The Blue Jays outfield could use some firepower, as could many AL East rosters. Given Boras' claim about the interested teams being good, it's fair to say that all five teams in the division fit the description. The New York Yankees have received next to nothing from outfielder Joey Gallo. Conforto could be an upgrade with a nearly identical play style.
The Tampa Bay Rays are always looking for advantages and Conforto could provide a lot of what Austin Meadows did in past years. Given the status of Conforto as a second-half rental, he certainly would be in their price range, or any others.
It's unclear what the Baltimore Orioles plan to do at the MLB trade deadline, but the acquisition would actually fit perfectly for where they are in the playoff race. By all accounts, the O's are a year early, if not more. If Baltimore wants to toe the line of being buyers and sellers, they could add an impact bat without giving up a single asset from their farm system. That lone move would not move the needle, but it could be one transaction that would aid their current predicament.
The Boston Red Sox are just as likely to add the slugger, as they've received an underwhelming performance from Jackie Bradley Jr., Kiké Hernández has been injured for over a month with no timetable for return, and the Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder platoon doesn't scream sure-fire production down the stretch.
Regardless of who pulls the trigger, the odds of Conforto joining the AL East are quite high.
