Dodgers’ Michael Conforto Gets Honest About Recent Surge Just Before Trade Deadline

Although production from an offseason signing that hasn’t been living up to his standards is almost always a good thing, the timing could not be difficult.

Conforto struggled during the first half of the season, batting .184 with just a .620 OPS. But in his 26 at-bats since the All-Star break, the left fielder has a slashline of .308/.379/.677 with a .956 OPS.

The veteran spoke on his sudden burst on offense, but didn’t quite relate it to trade rumors.

“I don’t know if the deadline has come into play with that,” Conforto said. “I think it’s just knowing who I am and understanding that the first half was not me. I left a lot of hits out there. There was a lot of work to be done. And I just had to put my head down and keep grinding.

“The deadline, I can’t control. That’s out of my control. So I can only control the attitude I show up with and the work I put in. That’s what I’m focused on.”

Conforto has been showing value at the plate with an above-average walk rate of 11.2 percent, ranking in the 77th percentile among active major leaders, and hovering right around league-average in terms of strikeout percentage, doing so 22.8 percent of the time.

His recent production has been helpful for a Dodgers team lacking in depth, especially in the outfield, but it begs the question of what direction the team should go towards with just days before the trade deadline.

There have been rumors about the Dodgers trading for an outfielder to replace him. However, Conforto’s suddenly hot bat may end up proving better than any outfielder LA added at the deadline.