Michael Conforto is finally rounding into form.
After missing all of 2022 with a shoulder injury and an understandable slow start to 2023, Conforto is putting up numbers comparable to his last season with the New York Mets, slashing .244/.336/.413.
Conforto has a player option next year worth $18 million. Murph & Mac asked Giants beat writer Susan Slusser on Friday if Conforto is likely to opt into that this offseason.
“I would think that they would want him to opt in,” Slusser said of the Giants. “And if he doesn’t I think they can make him a qualifying offer, which would pay him a little more. I got to think about that if I wanted to stay, if he knows that they would do that.
“But he’s such a good hitter. He looks so much better. He was out more than a year with that shoulder surgery. Now he’s kind of coming along. The sort-of cliche, professional hitter, great at-bats, beautiful swing. I think he’s an important guy who’s going to do nothing but get better this season. But yeah, that option’s about to kick in.”
A lot will depend on how good he thinks the Giants are moving forward. That said, Slusser believes Conforto is currently enjoying his time in San Francisco.
“My sense is he loves the clubhouse, he loves the team, he loves everything about San Francisco and the ballpark, but he wants to win,” Slusser concluded. “If he re-establishes himself as a player and doesn’t see a future with this team, I think he’ll probably look elsewhere. I don’t know how you could look at this team and not see a future. But, hey, some of that might also depend on how much they do at the deadline.”
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