The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Michael Conforto to a one-year contract earlier this month, slotting him into an outfield mix that still has some outstanding needs.
Conforto brings a left-handed bat that has been above average throughout the length of his Major League career. But during his time with the San Francisco Giants since 2023, Conforto underperformed compared to career averages.
The 31-year-old received a $17 million salary in the one-year deal, which exceeded most projections and indicates an expectation to fill a substantial role.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes spoke to that sentiment, hinting that the front office sees Conforto as an everyday outfielder rather than needing to be platooned, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group:
“I don’t believe Michael is now a better hitter vs. left than right,” Gomes said. “I do believe with his swing and his path that he will handle left-handers better than he has historically, and he will still maintain a very high level vs. right, especially when you look at what he did on the road and some of the under-the-hood stuff.”
Conforto is a fairly durable player who has appeared in at least 125 games in five of eight full seasons dating back to 2015. What Gomes highlighted about his splits against lefties is true, as Conforto logged a 145 wRC+ in 106 such plate appearances this past season.
The Dodgers don’t have the luxury of purely using Conforto against right-handed pitching.
The team is negotiating with free agent Teoscar Hernández, who would fill the other corner outfield role. Tommy Edman is expected to be the everyday center fielder, leaving Conforto to left field.
Michael Conforto’s road splits
Similar to what Hernández experienced at T-Mobile Park with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, playing at home was not kind to Conforto.
However, in 279 plate appearances away from Oracle Park this year, he batted .254/.323/.530 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI.
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