On paper, bringing in Conforto on a one-year, $17 million deal seemed like a solid enough bet to make, right in line with Hernandez’s one-year deal in 2024; a former All-Star with a second-team All-MLB on his resume, Conforto looked like a pro’s pro, hitting .238 with an OPS of .740 and 35 home runs during his run by the Bay.
Unfortunately, the Conforto signing hasn’t gone as planned.
So far this season, Conforto has been the worst offensive starter on the Dodgers’ roster, with his defense hardly making up for his .168 batting average. Conforto has been walked 23 times on just 171 plate appearances, but he’s struck out 47 times, with just two home runs and six RBIs to show for his efforts.
And when taking the plate with runners in scoring position, Conforto has somehow been even worse, going just 2-for-32 according to Blake Harris through May 17, with that number dipping even further over the team’s losing streak.
Could Conforto turn it all around? Andy Pages certainly did, going from a player fans were just as disappointed with to a certified every-day starter thanks to his incredible efforts at the plate, plus his strong defense. But 45 appearances into the 2025 season, the time is running out for Conforto to figure it out, especially as young players around him, like Dalton Rushing and Hye-seong Kim, look like legitimate pro players.
If Kim and Rushing continue to shine, don’t be surprised if the Dodgers move Conforto before the deadline, as removing him from the starting lineup could be as much about addition by subtraction as any player they get back in a deal.
The Dodgers can’t be precious in their World Series pursuit
When the Dodgers DFA’d both utility man Chris Taylor and catcher Austin Barnes after extensive runs in LA, it showcased one sad but unfortunate truth: no one player or their legacy is more important than another World Series win.
Discussing Conforto’s playing earlier in May and the potential to give him some time to work things out away from the starting lineup, Dave Roberts admitted that he has thought about benching the free agent addition but hadn’t quite gotten to that point just yet.
“I have thought about it. I know he’s grinding right now. We’ll see. I’m not saying that at some point if we don’t see – if he doesn’t look more comfortable, to be able to give him a couple days off might make sense. But right now, I want to keep running him out there,” Roberts said via Dodgers Nation.
“It’s the mental (side) trying too hard. Then it’s the pitch selection because of the anxiousness, and that causes some mechanical flaws. I think he’s a little around the baseball. I think he’s a little uphill. When you’re up and around, those make a bad combo. He’s working through it. The work is good. I trust him as a player. I do.”
When Roberts made these comments, Taylor and Barnes were still members of the Dodgers, instead of alumni looking for a new opportunity elsewhere. If Conforto had figured things out and turned things around, like, for example, his teammate Muncy, then maybe Roberts would be resting easy knowing that the bottom of his rotation has come around.
Unfortunately, Conforto has remained among the Dodgers’ least effective players to start the season, and it doesn’t look like things will get better anytime soon. With LA in the middle of a season-high four game losing streak, it might be time to talk about moving Conforto for some more pitching, for former Chicago White Sox target Luis Robert Jr., or for whatever gets the deal done, as opposing teams, much like fans, know what to expect almost every time he comes up to bat: another out on the score board.
