Extension talks between Michael Conforto and the Mets “have yet to grow serious,” according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, who also reports that the two sides never got to the point where numbers were exchanged. An earlier report two weeks ago stated that the Mets made an initial offer to Conforto, although both items aren’t necessarily contradictory — it could be that the Mets never got an official counter-offer back from the outfielder's representatives at the Boras Corporation, or perhaps the Mets’ offer was more exploratory in nature. Regardless, it remains to be seen if any negotiating will take place before Conforto hits the free-agent market after the season. The outfielder told DiComo, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post and other reporters on Sunday that he was “not interested in really talking about” the subject any further, and agent Scott Boras told Davidoff in a text message that “as is the custom when the season begins, [we are] focusing on the performance of the players.”
In other news, Conforto revealed that he and his fiancee tested positive for the coronavirus during the offseason, about two weeks before he reported to spring training. His fiancee suffered some moderate symptoms while Conforto didn’t suffer much beyond some shortness of breath.
More from around the NL East…
- Braves reliever Chris Martin left Sunday’s game due to an unspecified finger issue, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien). Martin pitched to five batters in the eighth inning, sandwiching two outs around three consecutive singles to Phillies batters that resulted in the game’s winning run. It remains to be seen how serious Martin’s problem could be, and an absence would be a tough loss to the bullpen considering Martin’s 2.45 ERA and outstanding 30.93% strikeout rate over 36 2/3 innings in an Atlanta uniform from 2019-20.
- After leaving Thursday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring, Adam Haseley was able to return to the Phillies’ starting lineup on Sunday, collecting a single in two plate appearances. As Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, Haseley seems to have the edge over switch-hitter Roman Quinn in what should ostensibly be a platoon in center field, but manager Joe Girardi told Lauber and other reporters that “there’s no exact science to” the duo’s usage. “If Q has some good days, or one of them gets hot, I’ll play them. ... Q contributed the other day. They’re both going to have to help out,” Girardi said.
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