Dodgers could soon cut ties with $17 million offseason addition

This past offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million contract.

Conforto spent nine seasons in Major League Baseball before this season, playing with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants before heading to the Dodgers this winter.

The Dodgers probably thought Conforto would come in and contribute right away to the team, but it has been a struggle for the 32-year-old outfielder.

In 65 games this season, Conforto has a batting average of .168 and an OPS of .718, which are way below the league average.

Given how poorly Conforto has been playing, he could be moved by the trade deadline. ClutchPoints' Garrett Kerman thinks Conforto should be on the trade block this summer.

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"Michael Conforto’s signing was supposed to bring stability and left-handed power to the Dodgers’ outfield. Instead, his 2025 campaign has been nothing short of disastrous. Through 74 games, Conforto is slashing a paltry .168/.305/.277, with just four home runs and 13 RBIs, numbers that rank among the worst for qualified hitters in all of Major League Baseball. His slugging percentage is the second-worst in the league, and his batting average is dead last among qualifiers," Kerman wrote. "The Dodgers inked the 32-year-old to a one-year, $17 million deal in hopes of a bounce-back, but his struggles have only deepened as the season progressed. Conforto’s strikeout rate has ballooned to a career-worst 27.6%, and his power has all but vanished, with a home run-to-fly ball ratio less than a third of his career norm. Manager Dave Roberts recently benched Conforto for a “reset,” while rookie Hyeseong Kim, hitting an eye-popping .386/.427/.557, has begun to eat into his playing time. With the Dodgers’ offense humming and younger, more versatile options like Kim emerging, Conforto’s continued presence in the lineup is increasingly untenable. The front office has already shown a willingness to move on from struggling veterans, and Conforto’s contract and lack of production make him an obvious trade candidate, if not an outright release risk, before the deadline."

Conforto has been a one-time All-Star in his career, but that was back in 2017 with the Mets.

Given Conforto's track record, there is a chance that he won't be able to come out of his slump, and the best thing for the Dodgers to do is move on from him before the postseason.

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