Ex-New York Mets OF Michael Conforto: 'I Don't Look Back With any Regret'
Michael Conforto is ready to turn the page.
The ex-Mets outfielder has not appeared in a game since September of 2021 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery last year.
Conforto rejected the Mets' qualifying offer in the 2021-2022 offseason, before injuring himself in a workout. The result, he did not sign with a team and missed the entire 2022 season due to injury.
Now, he is a member of the San Francisco Giants, whom he signed a two-year, $36 million deal with this winter that includes an opt out after the first season. He also just celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday.
Conforto, of course, discussed an extension with the Mets in the spring of 2020. He then had a down year in his contract year in 2021. Four months after surgery, the Houston Astros offered him a contract last summer, which he did not accept.
In an interview with Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Conforto says he is feeling great physically and feels good about his situation, in which he has no regrets about the past.
“I look back, but I don’t look back with any regret,” Conforto told The Post. “You can always look back and say it’s all bad. But I definitely can’t look back with regret. I’m happy where I’m at.”
While ex-Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen tried to lock up Conforto long-term several years ago, the outfielder isn't dwelling on what could have been.
“I think I made the right decision with the information I had at the time,” Conforto said. “It’s easy to say looking back, I should have done this or I should have done that. I don’t think it helps to dwell in the past.
“I was getting ready for the season. It got down to crunch time. But it never got serious enough to pull the trigger on anything.”
Conforto's final season with the Mets was a disappointing one, which included a bout with COVID-19, a hamstring pull, and the firing of hitting coach Chili Davis, who he was close with. Regardless, Conforto is not making any excuses and is looking forward to returning to Citi Field as a visitor in late-April.
“There’s not a whole lot bad I can say looking back,” Conforto said. “They gave me my shot. They gave me every opportunity. I had some great years there. I have a lot of great memories.
“It’s a weird thing. I feel like I really never got to close that time in my life. Going back will be a really cool experience early in the season. I’ll get a little closure then.”
The Giants missed out on signing Aaron Judge and nixed their deal with Carlos Correa over medical concerns. In the end, San Francisco wound up with Conforto, who is coming off shoulder surgery and expected to be able to play the outfield again by Opening Day.
“Obviously, it wasn’t an ideal situation for me the last two years,” Conforto said. “But I think it all worked out in the end. It’s pretty awesome.”
Read More:
- When Francisco Alvarez Will Start Catching Spring Games for Mets
- Jose Quintana Roughed up in Mets Spring Debut
- Jacob deGrom Addresses Mets Departure
Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
