While the Los Angeles Dodgers were endlessly connected to Juan Soto during his free agency saga, their first move in the outfield was to sign Michael Conforto to a one-year contract.
He wound up being the only left-handed hitting outfielder added during the offseason, as Soto signed with the New York Mets on a record-breaking contract.
Since adding Conforto to the organization, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes have spoken highly of the veteran and indicated the plan is for him to fill an everyday role.
As the Dodgers look for an answer in center field, Conforto is among the position players who has gotten off to a slow start this spring. Conforto didn’t collect his first hit until driving a double off the wall in center field during the third inning of Thursday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies.
“Michael is still working on some things. It was good to see him square a baseball up. I have a lot of confidence in Michael,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
“For me, Spring Training, he’s one of those players that I really don’t put much weight into (results). I just want him to keep getting his work in. Sometimes it just takes a couple games or a game to get locked in. Hopefully that barrel that he caught, wind blowing in, sparks something. But I’m not too concerned.”
Considering the double was Conforto’s first hit with the Dodgers, Roberts made an effort to retrieve the baseball so it could be saved as a memento.
“I was trying to get the ball and make it a little souvenir,” Roberts quipped.
Michael Conforto’s stats
Through four Cactus League games thus far, Conforto is just 1-for-9 with the aforementioned double, two walks and four strikeouts.
He’s coming off somewhat of a down year with the San Francisco Giants but expressed confidence working with Dodgers hitting coaches and playing home games at Dodger Stadium would be a boost.
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