Outfielder Michael Conforto went 1-for-3 with a walk in the SF Giants 4-3 extra-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon. However, in the broad scheme of things, Conforto's second plate appearance of the day had some notable implications. Conforto recorded his 350th plate appearance of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning, reaching the threshold in his contract that turns the second year of his two-year, $36 million deal into an opt-out.
It's hard to project whether Conforto will exercise the opt-out in his contract. The 30-year-old outfielder has been passable this season, hitting .241/.331/.401 with 10 doubles and a team-leading 13 home runs. However, he did the vast majority of his damage over a scorching hot 22-game stretch from May 10th through June 8th, when he hit two doubles, eight home runs, and posted a 1.115 OPS.
If Conforto finishes the season on his current trajectory, it's hard to envision him opting out of his contract. That said, Conforto has a strong track record and has been healthy all season, which was the biggest question heading into the year after missing the entire 2022 campaign with a shoulder injury. It's not out of the question that Conforto could end up landing a sizable multi-year deal if he finishes the season strong.
Prior to joining the Giants, Conforto spent his entire career with the Mets. A Seattle, Washington native, Conforto hit .259/.358/.484 with 30 home runs per 162 games from 2015-2020. In fact, Conforto hit at least 27 homers in a season for three consecutive years from 2017-2019. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Conforto posted a .322/.412/.515 line with 12 doubles and 9 home runs in 54 games.
Injuries clearly limited Conforto in 2021, leading him to record a slugging percentage under .400 for the first time in his career. In fact, his .232/.344/.384 triple-slash that season is fairly comparable to his production this year with the SF Giants.
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