DALLAS — It was the Los Angeles Dodgers who netted a high-profile corner outfielder on the eve of the Winter Meetings after all.
The Dodgers reached an agreement on a one-year, $17 million deal with veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday, filling a corner outfield need for the franchise as much of the baseball world awaited the decision of another left-handed slugger, Juan Soto.
Los Angeles has been among the clubs involved in the Soto sweepstakes, and has continued to show interest in a reunion with All-Star Teoscar Hernández. But signing Conforto — who had a .740 OPS (108 OPS+) across each of the last two seasons with the San Francisco Giants — plugs a hole for the reigning World Series champions, who are expected to move Mookie Betts back to the infield.
Conforto was The Athletic’s 40th-ranked available free agent on its Big Board ahead of this offseason, with Tim Britton projecting him to earn one year and $10 million.
Conforto, an All-Star early in his career with the New York Mets, missed all of 2022 due to shoulder surgery. His first foray into free agency landed him in San Francisco on a two-year, $36 million deal, where he showed durability (he appeared in 255 games in two seasons) but did not reach quite the same offensive heights he had before the procedure. Some of that, perhaps, could be attributed to his home ballpark — in 2024, he had a .632 OPS (in 209 plate appearances) at Oracle Park compared to an .852 OPS in 279 plate appearances away from it.
Adding Conforto gives the Dodgers at least some short-term stability for an outfield that was set to become much younger next season. The Dodgers extended Tommy Edman, who is likely to play mostly center field. Andy Pages got an extended run of playing time in 2024 and profiles well in a corner, but was notably better against left-handed pitching (.917 OPS) than against righties (.647 OPS) last season. James Outman, the Dodgers’ Opening Day center fielder each of the last two seasons, ended last year in the minors.
Adding Conforto may not affect the Dodgers’ chances of re-upping with Hernández, who had a career-best 33 home runs in 2024 and has expressed a strong desire to return. The Dodgers remain interested in bringing him back, according to league sources. If they do, Conforto could serve as a valuable left-handed option in one of the deepest lineups in the sport.
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