MLB rumors: It sure sounds like a fan favorite Mets player could sign with the Braves

Hitting wasn’t a strength of the Atlanta Braves this past year. They took until game 162 to clinch a playoff spot in part because of their weak offense. Like so many New York Mets teams in the past, it was their pitching that carried them.

The team is now rumored to have interest in adding a left-handed bat to the roster. So much for Jarred Kelenic saving the day, eh? Wouldn’t you know, among the group of available free agent options are two fan favorites from the recent and a little more distant past.

Mets fan favorites Michael Conforto and Jesse Winker each fit what the Braves are looking to add this winter

Unbelievably, three full seasons have been played since Michael Conforto last suited up for the Mets. A member of the ball club in 2021 in what was a miserable walk year experience, he ended up missing all of 2022 due to injury. Catching on with the San Francisco Giants the last two seasons, Conforto was much less the budding star we came to recognize during his years in New York.

In two years with the Giants, Conforto hit .238/.322/.418. The two seasons were comparable. He had a slightly worse batting average and OBP this past year but with a big increase in power thanks to nearly doubling his doubles total from 14 to 27. He found himself shifting from the comforts of right field over to left field where he last played regularly as a member of the 2018 Mets.

The defensive numbers are unimpressive. The Braves won’t get Gold Glove-caliber defense out of him. Nor will they if Jesse Winker becomes their target.

Fresher in our minds, Winker went from the Washington Nationals to the Mets last year via trade. His regular season included an awesome August, miserable September, and a fiery postseason. Conforto signing with the Braves might spoil some nostalgia. Winker going there would be more of a kick to the jaw simply because we know the kind of energy he’d bring.

There are definitely better matches for the Braves to fill out their roster with a left-handed outfielder. Someone a little better defensively would suffice. The ongoing presence of Marcell Ozuna on their roster eliminates regular DH at-bats. We can only hope that our positive memories of Conforto aren’t dashed because he ends up with the Braves. If Winker leaves for good, let it be to a team we won’t have to deal with multiple times a year.