3 potential Mets waiver wire pickups to watch closely in August if teams offer some freebies

2) Michael Conforto

A Mets consideration at the trade deadline, Michael Conforto is getting paid $18 million this season by the San Francisco Giants. They, too, convinced themselves that a postseason run was possible. They didn’t sell much, only ridding themselves of Jorge Soler’s contract. Once they officially fall too far out of the Wild Card spot, adding Conforto to the waiver wire is another way to lower the payroll.

Conforto goes into Sunday hitting .224/.300/.414 in 323 plate appearances. He has 11 home runs and 41 RBI in a season that is essentially a replication of his down year in 2023 when he had a .718 OPS. This year it’s four points lower at .714.

Conforto is much less of a fit for the Mets now with Jesse Winker on the roster. However, September’s roster expansion and the questionable health of Starling Marte should have the Mets exploring all possibilities.

The Giants have an estimated tax bill of $2.8 million. Insignificant when considering how many dollars float around Major League Baseball, ownership has little to lose by waiving Conforto if they fall out of the playoff chase.