Report: SF Giants expect Michael Conforto to opt out of contract

In a new report, the SF Giants expect outfielder Michael Conforto to test a rather shallow and thin free agent market

The upcoming class of MLB free agents poised to enter the market this offseason is set to be a heavily underwhelming group for teams looking for a jolt on the position-player side. The SF Giants will already be looking to improve their mediocre offense but could be further depleted by the class's weakness. The Giants are reportedly expecting outfielder Michael Conforto to test the waters of free agency by opting out of his contract following the season, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic.

Conforto could test the waters of a very thin free agent market for position players / Jesse Johnson -USA TODAY Sports

"The choices will be so limited that Giants officials are prepared for the eventuality that Michael Conforto will opt out of an $18 million salary in 2024 even though the 30-year-old outfielder has been a league-average hitter (101 OPS+) and, Thursday night’s wall-crashing catch in left field aside, has not graded out well defensively," Baggarly wrote.

Conforto, 30, signed a two-year, $36 million deal with San Francisco ahead of the 2023 season. Since he reached 350 plate appearances, a threshold he bypassed on July 30, the second year of the contract transformed into a player option.

After sitting out the entire 2022 season because of shoulder surgery, Conforto was expected to be a solid, potent boost in the middle of the Giants order. While he’s showing flashes of carrying an offense, calf and hamstring injuries have limited his already-fractured durability.

In just 119 games, Conforto has slashed .244/.338/.393 with 15 homers, 13 doubles, 51 walks and 101 strikeouts. Although he’s excelled at swinging at pitches in the strike zone –– a philosophy constantly preached throughout the Giants organization –– Conforto has mostly been a middle-of-the-road offensive contributor. He’s ranked near the bottom in many defensive categories, too.

However, Conforto’s reasonable age –– he’ll be entering his age-31 season –– and track record of success –– a 124 wRC+ with the New York Mets from 2015-2021 –– could land him a multi-year deal in the aforementioned flimsy market headlined by Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman.

“It’s expected that teams with a need for left-handed hitting like the New York Yankees and perhaps the Dodgers will give Conforto a little grace, understanding the difficulty of coming back after missing all of 2022 because of shoulder surgery,” Baggarly wrote. “If a 31-year-old Mitch Haniger can play in just 57 games and still command a three-year, $43.5 million contract, which is what the Giants gave him last winter, then it’s not difficult to imagine a similar or better deal for Conforto, a Boras client, this offseason.”

As Baggarly mentions, Haniger’s durability didn’t hold him back from cashing in, and neither did his production. In only 224 plate appearances with the Seattle Mariners in 2022, Haniger slashed .246/.308/.429 with 11 homers, 20 walks, 57 strikeouts, and a 113 OPS+. For Conforto, the reasoning for opting out appears justifiable.

Conforto would join Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Joc Pederson, and Hunter Renfroe as other possible options for clubs looking to expand their corner outfield production.

Gurriel Jr. and Hernandez have both shown proven power at the big league level in everyday roles and will likely be the cream of the crop for their particular market.

Outside of those two, Conforto’s options are vast. In Pederson’s case, he’s primarily a platoon designated hitter –– any sighting of him roaming the outfield exposes a club’s overall depth –– at this point in his career, thriving in the role with a .814 OPS this season against right-handed pitching. Renfroe still has power but has seen his value plummet with a rough second half spent between the Angels and Reds.

Even if he opts out, Conforto could remain in a Giants uniform for Opening Day next season. However, the Giants could need to negotiate an extension or re-sign him on the open market.

“The opportunity will be there for the Giants to jump the market and renegotiate an extension with Conforto, who has said that he’s enjoyed his time in San Francisco and values how the Giants have treated him and his family,” Baggarly writes. “But a Boras client seldom offers a pre-market discount.”

Plus, the Giants will likely have a surplus of outfield options for 2024.

Haniger’s contract ensures he’ll be back while Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater are under team control too. Prospects Heliot Ramos, Wade Meckler, Luis Matos, and Tyler Fitzgerald round out the younger options, and first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. has been a viable outfielder in the past. The SF Giants could also decide to upgrade with other options through free agency or trade. However, it seems like Michael Conforto will not be returning on his current contract.