Tom Brennan - EVERY DAY GETS CLOSER TO A DECISION ON WHETHER TO PURSUE MICHAEL CONFORTO OR LET HIM WALK AT YEAR END

Conforto as a collegian, several years back

You may think it is far too soon to worry about whether to pursue whether to truly pursue a long term extension with Michael Conforto after the season or let him walk.

GM Zach Scott and his colleagues may not have this at the very forefront of their minds.  But no doubt they are thinking about it.  A lot.

We all hope Conforto has a 20 homer, 50 RBI second half.  

Lot easier for the Mets winning a World Series if he does.

But so far this year, he has been awful, or injured.  

Kirk Nieuwenhuis must be looking and saying, hey, I did better than that!

Hard to believe that going into the All Star Break, .196 hitting Conforto's season highlight has been a controversial walk-off hit by pitch on a ball in the strike zone.  Or maybe one of his nice catches.  He did hit that 3 run jack on Sunday.

With (through Friday) just 2 HRs (1 every 95 plate appearances) and a 7:2 HBP to HR ratio.  Ouch!

One of the considerations in whether to sign Conforto long term is whether there is someone better to sign and/or put in right field.

A related consideration is: 

Is there a viable in-house replacement?

It could be Carlos Cortes, who really ought to be promoted to AAA at the All Star Break.  After all, through Friday, he had 32 extra base hits in 52 games, and 37 RBIs on a AA team where, early in the season, no one was getting on base to knock in.  He'd have to deliver a heck of a second half to get that sort of right field Mets starter consideration in 2022.

It could be Khalil Lee, who was totally not ready this spring when called up when the rash of injuries started.

But Lee, who only turned 23 on May 17, has a stellar .444 on base % in AAA in about 150 plate appearances.  Tied for 2nd best OBP in AAA East baseball, in point of fact.  Not stealing much this year, but pilfered 53 bags in 2019 in just 129 games, so he has giddy-up.

Mark Vientos?  A third possibility, huh?  After a very slow first 5 weeks to start the season, he has been going great guns, sits at .277 with 14 HRs and 40 RBIs in 47 games. (Only 4 recent games in the outfield so far, though, so that would require a lot more OF time to be a potential option).

Thinking of Khalil Lee from a historical perspective, way back when, in decades past, the Mets had a guy who started his OF career with them awfully, going just 27 for 152, with no HRs, 5 RBIs, and lots of Ks.  

I can almost hear it:

"He sucks.  Get rid of him!  Now!"  

Heeding perhaps the impatient fans' cries, they did so.

After he went elsewhere, though, he had nearly 2,000 more major league hits, hit with power, won 3 Gold Gloves, and stole a ton of bases.  

His name?  

Amos Otis.

Remember him?  

Traded for "stars" Joe Foy and Bob Johnson?

Who wouldn't do that trade again? If you were the other team.

(BTW, I think Joe Foy holds the MLB record for shortest name).

Anyway, all to say: the second half of this season counts for this trio of candidates, too, and it hasn't been played yet.  

Given that fact, if speedy Khalil Lee (who, after another strong night in AAA Tuesday, sits at .274/.452/.444) or thumping Carlos Cortes (or even Mark Vientos) can keep progressing and building on what they're already accomplishing, hey, you never know.  No one thought much of Jeff McNeil either - until one day they started to think a lot about him.  Then he got here.  Then he did great.  And he did "great" cheaply.  Funny how that can work.

A minimum wage RF provides spending flexibility elsewhere, to be sure.

Of course, on the other hand, if Conforto leaves and signs with oh, say, the Yankees, he will undoubtedly become a 40 HR a year man in the Land of the Bronx Pop Fly Home Run, just like Curtis Granderson did in pinstripes when he hit 84 in a 2 year span.  That would be embarrassing to the Mets.

Lots to consider.  We'll see how the second half goes.