Michael Conforto
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The new face of the New York Mets wants Michael Conforto to be his teammate for a long time. 

When the Mets reported to Spring Training, the focus for the front office was getting a long-term deal in place with Francisco Lindor. The Mets paid a significant price to land a superstar shortstop and needed to lock him up for the rest of his career.

They were able to get that done before Lindor’s Opening Day deadline, giving him the largest contract in franchise history.

The next name on the list of contracts to get done for the Mets is outfielder Michael Conforto. The 28-year-old is playing in the final year of club control in 2021, making $12.25 million.

Conforto made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2017 but is considered by many to be one of the cornerstone bats in the Mets’ lineup.

Now, Lindor has weighed in on Conforto’s contract status.

Between 2017-20, Conforto averaged 3.35 WAR (per Baseball Reference). He has never been known for his glove, but his bat has been a strong piece of the Mets lineup for the past four years.

Though he hasn’t had a great start to the 2021 season, Conforto’s contract is still a significant piece of the Mets’ future.

Marcell Ozuna signed a four-year, $65 million deal with the Atlanta Braves before this year, his age-30 season. That might be a good comp for a Conforto deal; Ozuna averaged 3.05 WAR (per Baseball Reference) over the same four-year stretch (2017-20).

What will it take for the Mets to keep Conforto? And will they get a deal done before he hits the market this winter? Lindor obviously wants a deal to get done soon.

Tab has written about MLB, the NHL and the NFL for more than a decade for publications including The Fourth Period, Bleacher Report and La Vida Baseball. He is the author of two books about the Chicago Blackhawks and has been credentialed for the MLB All-Star Game and postseason and multiple Stanley Cup Finals. He is the co-host of the Line Drive Radio podcast.