Michael Conforto was once one of the most promising young power hitters in all of MLB. Conforto was a foundational piece of the New York Mets, occupying the middle of the team's order with a consistent power-hitting bat.
Now, Conforto finds himself two teams removed from the Mets and is clearly on the hot seat ahead of the MLB trade deadline. The Mets' 2010 first-round pick hasn't recaptured his power-hitting magic as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and may be on his way out because of it.
The Dodgers have played it coy to this point, giving Conforto chance after chance despite his immense struggles at the plate. At some point, those chances run dry, though, and if the Chargers can improve the corner outfield spot at the deadline, they certainly should look to do so.
Michael Conforto's Dodgers tenure may end as unceremoniously as his Mets tenure
Conforto faced a similar reality in his last season with the Mets, although not to the same extreme. One year after a four-year stretch where he ranked 12th in the National League in total home runs, Conforto turned in the worst season of his Mets career. His OPS fell from a combined .864 in those four seasons to .729 in 2021. He went from averaging 33.6 home runs every 162 games to hitting just 14.
The slugging outfielder then quietly exited the Mets without finding a new home. Conforto declined New York's qualifying offer for the 2022 season only to not sign with a team because of a shoulder injury.
Conforto returned to being a productive bat in two years with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 and 2024, although not to the all-star level he previously achieved. His ceiling with the Giants wasn't as high, and his fall-off with the Dodgers in 2025 has been even worse.
The 2017 all-star is posting a career-worst in batting average (.186) and OPS (.619) this season. He's recorded only 88 total bases in 319 plate appearances and has struck out 74 times. It's not like he's an elite fielder, either, plummeting his WAR to a -0.7 clip.
The Dodgers can give Conforto as many chances over the summer as they want, and they certainly should considering he cost the team $17 million this season. But at some point, the rubber has to meet the road, and the Dodgers cannot afford to carry a negative WAR player into the postseason.
This is precisely why the Dodgers should target some kind of corner outfield bat to take Conforto's place in the lineup. The scariest thing for Conforto, though, is that the Dodgers don't even need to make a trade to give him the boot after the deadline.
Mookie Betts has exceeded expectations while playing shortstop but his hitting has suffered this season. The Dodgers could always kick Betts back out to right field, play Teoscar Hernandez in left, and can play Hyeseong Kim in the middle infield with Tommy Edman.
Kim may not be a power-hitting left-handed bat but his combination of bat-to-ball skills, speed, and defensive prowess makes him a more productive player than Conforto at this point in time.
All that to say: Conforto's days with the Dodgers may be numbered. Andrew Friedman should take a long look at the corner outfield market, and even if there is someone he doesn't like, Conforto deserves to get the boot.