Michael Conforto Confirms Mets Contract Extension Talks Ahead of 2021 Season

New York Mets star Michael Conforto confirmed his representatives remain in negotiations with the team regarding a contract extension.

Conforto told reporters Sunday he's "pretty much just focused on baseball" and declined to provide much in the way of specifics about how the discussions are unfolding:

The 2017 All-Star is due to become a free agent in 2022. He said in February he had put his next contract on the back burner as he prepared for the season ahead.

Team president Sandy Alderson signaled the following month the Mets were looking to keep Conforto beyond this year.

"We've had Conforto for many years," Alderson told reporters. "He's not only become an excellent player but also part of, I think, the leadership group within the clubhouse. He's represented the Mets for a long period of time and represented us well. And I think if it's possible that we will make the effort to try and keep Michael with us."

When healthy, Conforto has been one of the Mets' best hitters since his promotion to the majors in 2015. He has a .358 on-base percentage and .843 OPS for his career. The 28-year-old was particularly excellent in 2020, boasting a .322/.412./.515 slash line, though the short season makes it difficult to base opinions on how any player performed.

The Mets weren't big players in free agency, most notably striking out on Trevor Bauer. They did show ambition by acquiring Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland, thus allowing team owner Steven Cohen to generate some positive momentum in his first full season in charge.

Like Conforto, Lindor is only under team control for one more year. Retaining both players will be costly, which presents Cohen with a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how his ownership tenure will differ from that of the Wilpon family.