Dodgers News: Conforto Breaks Silence on Being Left Off Postseason Roster

LOS ANGELES, CA—One name that has been notably absent from the Los Angeles Dodgers postseason roster is left-handed hitting outfielder Michael Conforto, and that doesn’t seem likely to change for the upcoming World Series.

The Dodgers inked Conforto to a one-year, $17 million contract during the offseason before eventrually re-signing fan favorite Teoscar Hernández to a multi-year deal.

The deal appeared to serve as a contingency if the team couldn’t re-sign Hernández, acting as another one-year prove-it contract that proved effective during the 2024 offseason with players like Teoscar and others under Andrew Friedman’s management.

Nevertheless, despite Hernández rejoining the team, the Dodgers considered Conforto an everyday player, even acknowledging his offensive struggles during the regular season.

In short, the deal was unsuccessful for Los Angeles, as Conforto posted his worst career numbers, hitting .199/.305/.333 with a 79 OPS+ and a -0.7 bWAR.

However, the Dodgers provided the veteran with multiple chances to turn things around before the postseason. By the time of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, the team had decided to omit Conforto from the roster.

As the Dodgers kept winning—defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series and the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series—Conforto stayed in the background, and that’s likely to continue before the team begins the World Series on Friday.

Conforto has continued with the team as a taxi squad player, participating in live at-bats and other baseball activities. Recently, he spoke with MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, sharing his feelings about being excluded from the postseason.

“I am just trying to enjoy this experience and soak it all in and trying to stay ready if they need me in this series or the next one,” Conforto told Heyman.

“But definitely not being on the roster is motivating, so I have some things I have to work on and go into the offseason and take care of those things and we’ll see what happens.”

While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman haven’t discussed their upcoming 26-man World Series roster yet, it’s likely only minor changes will be made.

Since the World Series roster size remains unchanged, Conforto faces a challenge in making the team. He would have to supplant either Hyeseong Kim or Justin Dean in the outfield platoon, but both are currently expected to be better defenders and base-runners. Additionally, Conforto’s bat is not a significant upgrade over Kim’s at this time.

It seems that Conforto’s tenure as a Dodger is swiftly and quietly concluding, as the veteran outfielder is expected to become a free agent after this season, with his future in the league uncertain.

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