Francisco Lindor was able to lock up a long-term deal just before his self-imposed deadline of Opening Day, and now, the attention has turned to another star on the Mets who will be up for a potential extension.
Unfortunately for Conforto, the beginning of his first contract season has been a struggle.
Through five games and 24 plate appearances, Conforto has managed just three hits while drawing just one walk and striking out eight times. For the first game of Tuesday's double header against the Phillies, he was dropped to sixth in the lineup after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his last game.
Lindor, now signed for 10 years and $341 million, talked with the struggling Conforto and has no doubt the former All-Star will break out and earn a lucrative extension to stay in New York alongside Lindor.
"He's a good ballplayer," Lindor said. "I told him 'you're a good ballplayer.' He's going to put the numbers up. At the end of the year, the numbers will be there no matter what. If he continues to stay healthy, the numbers will be there for sure."
The numbers were certainly there last year, with Conforto posting career-highs in batting average (.322) and on-base percentage (.412) while putting up a .927 OPS, his highest since 2017, when he was an All-Star. Conforto didn't set the start of the season as a deadline for negotiations like Lindor did, and while there hadn't been much discussion about an extension during spring training, new owner Steve Cohen has expressed a desire to spend and proved it with Lindor, making Conforto an obvious candidate for a contract given his track record with the Mets.
Given the back of Conforto's baseball card, Lindor is urging his new teammate to focus on the season ahead, and the contract will take care of itself.
"Enjoy this process, don't worry about what's going to happen," Lindor said. "He's one of the leaders in the Mets organization. He's going to get paid at some point. He's going to get what he desires and what he deserves."
Conforto heard some boos from the home crowd in his last game, but in what has been a short five-game sample due to COVID-19 and weather postponements, the 28-year-old can turn things around in a hurry and become the next Mets star to be secured for the long haul.
"Enjoy every single day," Lindor said. "We're early in the season and there's a lot of things that can still happen. I'm looking forward to the day where God willing he does sign here and I can say he's going to be a teammate of mine for a very long time."
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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