New York Mets: What players should get extensions next and what they could look like

Conforto.

The Mets have already locked up their best pitcher. So now, the only logical thing to do would be to lock up their best young position player, Michael Conforto. Aside from the aging veterans who are under normal, non-rookie contracts already like Robinson Cano, Jed Lowrie, Todd Frazier, etc, Conforto is the player they could look at slapping an extension on.

The problem for Conforto is there is not really a market set for him. The New York market was set when the Yankees gave Aaron Hicks a 7-year, $70M extension. That sounds about right for Conforto in theory. After all, he still has two years of arbitration left after this.

While it would make sense to give Conforto something similar to Hicks, Conforto is much younger and we still don’t know his ceiling. We know what the Yanks have in Hicks who is already 29. Conforto is 26 and has superstar potential.

Another contract that Conforto could be looking towards is something a little less than the 6-year, $94M one the Rockies slapped on Charlie Blackmon in 2018. While Blackmon has won a batting title, that was at Coors Field. Both are sweet swinging outfielders and Blackmon is already 32. He was also a veteran before he got his extension and a lot more proven.

But, that six years is what seems intriguing to give to Conforto. Outfielders have a much longer shelf life than pitchers and no matter how great Conforto gets, he will likely not be worth a 10+ year extension that Mike Trout got, that should stay the record.

Either way, the Mets know Conforto is at least above average right now. He has been to the all-star game and on the cusp of being a 30 home run hitter. He has been dubbed to be part of the core and they should use their crosstown or league rival as an example of what to do.

The terms of Conforto’s potential deal are beyond my capability to predict, but he makes just over $4M for 2018, and will only go up if they keep giving him one year deals or via arbitration.

The Mets should slap on him a six/seven-year extension for around $13M a year taking out his two arbitration years and adding more with a solid AAV. That would make him 32-ish by the end of the deal os opposed to 28 by the time they get to him in free agency.

There are some red flags to Conforto now, we know how great he can be, but an extension in any way would be helpful for the Mets and him, he is one to keep and might become too expensive in free agency. They should be predicting what he could be worth and pay him that now instead of overpaying or outright losing him down the road.

MLB extension comparison: Blackmon for what Conforto’s ceiling is, Hicks, if I had to pick one based on right now.

Urgency to get done: 8.5, he is probably going to be their best hitter, maybe not. Still not a risk the Mets should take with not a lot of time left by the time we know the answer.