The Los Angeles Dodgers thought they knew something the rest of us didn’t when they signed Michael Conforto this winter.
Conforto, the 32-year-old outfielder who made an All-Star team with the New York Mets, landed a one-year, $17 million deal with LA. That’s a hefty number for a bat-first player coming off a down year with the Giants.
Whatever the Dodgers saw hasn’t shown up. Conforto’s batting .172 with a .599 OPS through 50 games, and LA’s probably looking at outfield upgrades before the trade deadline.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Ryan O’Hearn wasn’t supposed to be available this summer, but the Baltimore Orioles are going nowhere fast. And O’Hearn? He’s absolutely raking.
On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted O’Hearn as one of the “big names up for grabs” at the July 31 deadline.
“With the Orioles all but dead and buried, (O’Hearn’s) breakout is going to become some other team’s benefit before too much longer,” Miller wrote.
What makes O’Hearn attractive is his versatility. He’s been primarily a designated hitter this season, but he can handle first base or either corner outfield spot. That flexibility matters when you’re trying to upgrade a lineup.
The numbers tell the story. O’Hearn’s hitting .338 with a .977 OPS – that OPS ranks second behind Aaron Judge in the American League. He’s making just $8 million this year and becomes a free agent after the season.
Miller doesn’t specifically mention the Dodgers as a fit, but they’re hardly “tentative buyers.” They’re the defending World Series champions, and they’re going all-in on repeating.
The way I see it, LA won’t let a sunk cost in Conforto keep them from making the move they need. When you’re trying to go back-to-back, you fix what isn’t working.
