Michael Conforto planning to decline Mets’ qualifying offer

CARLSBAD, Calif. — If Michael Conforto returns to the Mets it will be through free agency, and not attached to a qualifying offer.

Conforto, an industry source confirmed Monday, will decline the Mets’ qualifying offer worth $18.4 million for next season and attempt to land a better deal on the free-agent market. ESPN first reported Conforto’s intent to decline the qualifying offer.

By extending the qualifying offer, the Mets are in position to receive a compensatory draft pick if Conforto leaves, under the current collective bargaining agreement rules. The Phillies, Mariners and Rockies could be among the teams that pursue the 28-year-old Conforto, who is coming off a down season, but will likely draw plenty of suitors on the open market.

In 125 games last season, Conforto slashed .232/.344/.384 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs. He rebounded over the final two months of the season to finish slightly above league average with a 101 OPS-plus after an underwhelming first half.

It’s a first half in which Conforto missed over a month on the injured list with a strained right hamstring after testing positive for COVID-19 just before the start of spring training. The Mets had discussed a possible contract extension with Conforto’s agent, Scott Boras, during spring training, but those talks never gained any real traction. At the time, the five-year contract worth $150 million that George Springer received from the Blue Jays last winter was viewed by Conforto’s camp as something of a starting point. Conforto, the Mets’ first pick in the 2014 draft, owns a career .824 OPS.

If Conforto departs, the Mets could look toward a free-agent market that includes names such as Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Avisail Garcia and Starling Marte. Another option, whether Conforto departs or not, could be Kris Bryant — who would bring a right-handed bat to the third base/outfield equation. Bryant was ineligible for the qualifying offer and can be signed without surrendering a draft pick.

Noah Syndergaard is expected to accept the qualifying offer he received from the Mets after missing almost all of the past two seasons rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Syndergaard recently expressed on Twitter his appreciation of receiving the offer from the Mets.

The two most notable players to leave the Mets after rejecting the qualifying offer are Daniel Murphy and Zack Wheeler. Both remained in the NL East, with the Nationals and Phillies, and became Mets tormentors. Wheeler, who received a five-year deal worth $118 million after the 2019 season, was announced Monday as a National League Cy Young Award finalist.