For the second time in a few days, the Chicago Cubs are being attached to free agent outfielder/DH Michael Conforto, who is trying to come back after a season lost to a shoulder injury (before which, he was generally quite a good bat … so it’s worth the chance).
After Bruce Levine paired the two up this weekend, multiple sources are putting the Cubs and Conforto together today:
The #Rockies have talked about free agent outfielder Michael Conforto as a possible short-term solution. But I'm told they're not in the mix as much as the #Cubs, #Marlins or #Rangers.— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp) December 19, 2022
For what it's worth, I've also heard some Conforto-Cubs rumblings this afternoon.
Still sounds like they're just one of the teams in the mix though, as opposed to actually closing in on anything. https://t.co/twOfnlE1Gt— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) December 19, 2022
It wouldn’t surprise me if Conforto, like many other free agents, is trying to get a deal done this week in advance of the Christmas holiday. There is no real deadline there, but it’s just a comfort thing for a lot of people – they see it as nice to know by the holidays where they’ll be spending the next year+. Just speaking generally here.
For the Cubs, adding Conforto would give them a chance at a plus lefty bat, who could rotate among the DH spot and the outfield spots (depending on the state of that throwing shoulder). The Cubs need offensive upside, wherever they can accommodate it, so taking a shot on a guy who was a .255/.356/.468/124 wRC+ career hitter before the injury seems like an especially good risk for this team on a short-term deal. Conforto turns 30 in March, so it’s not as if he is a much older player trying to get over a shoulder injury, either.
I’ll be keeping tabs on this one …
