Dodgers sign Michael Conforto

The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with the outfielder Michael Confortoaccording to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez adds that Conforto’s deal with LA is a one-year deal worth $17 million. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the club remains engaged with another free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez even after landing Conforto.

Conforto, 32 years old in March, was selected 10th overall by the Mets in the 2014 draft and proved to be an impact hitter for the club early in his career. In his first six seasons as a big league player, Conforto hit an incredible .259/.358/.484 with a wRC+ of 128. Conforto made an All-Star appearance, hitting 118 home runs in 632 games and establishing himself as one of the best young offensive players in the NL. Unfortunately, however, Conforto suffered from shoulder issues early in his career, which came to a head after a poor 2021 season (104 wRC+). Conforto declined the qualifying offer and entered free agency to secure a solid payout, but underwent surgery during the 2021-22 lockout and ultimately did not sign a contract for the 2022 season while recovering.

Since then, Conforto has been part of the corner outfield mix in San Francisco. He was able to avoid further shoulder problems during his time with the Giants, but hasn’t quite reached the heights he reached on offense during his time in Queens. In two seasons with the club, Conforto hit just .238/.322/.418 with a wRC+ of 105 in 255, a number generally consistent with his loss last year with the Mets. This lack of offense made Conforto so expendable to the Giants that they considered trade offers for him this summer, but ultimately no deal materialized and Conforto remained in San Francisco.

While his time with the Giants suggests that offensive production just slightly above league average is the new normal for Conforto, there is one major confounding factor that gives cause for optimism that he will take a step forward with Los Angeles could do: He fought his way through with a .231/. 309/.365 slash line within Oracle Park’s offensive suppression limits throughout his career. This year in particular, Conforto managed just an 83 wRC+ at home while posting a far more robust 133 wRC+ on the road. In the two years Conforto was a Giant, Oracle Park was the second-worst park in baseball for offense, ahead of only T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Meanwhile, Dodger Stadium is about league average and is the 17th best park in the majors for offense.

More to come…