Examining the fit between the Colorado Rockies and Michael Conforto

With the MLB lockout being in effect, the Colorado Rockies and other MLB teams cannot contact any agents or players about free agent deals (and can’t make trades either). But the Rockies still can do their due diligence on players.

The Colorado Rockies need a bat in their lineup and, logically, the best place for them to add that bat is in their outfield. One of the best outfielders on the free agent market is Michael Conforto, who was with the New York Mets for part of the last seven seasons, and, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, the Rockies believe that Conforto “profile(s) well in their lineup, in their park, on the field and, well, everywhere.”

But Michael Conforto has shown that he could be even better than for the Colorado Rockies

Since 2017, Michael Conforto has been a great offensive player for the New York Mets and he could be for the Colorado Rockies. From 2017 through 2020, he hit .265/.369/.495 with an OPS+ of 134. That average OPS of .864 would have been second only to C.J. Cron’s .905 on the 2021 Rockies. He also had a 162-game average of 34 homers and 95 RBI in the four seasons as well.

Conforto, who turns 29 in March, struggled with some injuries in 2021 as he only played in 125 games but even then, he would have been one of the better bats for the Rockies. He had a low batting average (.232) but he had an OPS of .729 and an OPS+ of 102. That OPS+ would have been tied for third-best (along with Brendan Rodgers) among qualifiers on the Rockies.

One problem for the Rockies could be that Conforto almost exclusively plays right field and he’s not a great defender. Conforto exclusively played right field in 2020 and 2021 but he did play left and center field prior to that so if the Rockies did sign Conforto, the Rockies could consider using him in one of the other outfield spots.

The Rockies could use him as a DH option as well, in tandem with Charlie Blackmon and a few others.

MLB Trade Rumors predicts that he will get a contract one year and $20 million but, at least how the Rockies have operated thus far this offseason, that amount for a player who wasn’t a Rockie last year could be too rich for their blood.