Veteran slugger Michael Conforto joins the Chicago Cubs battle for the final outfield spot, aiming to rebound and reclaim his former All-Star power.
The fourth outfield position battle continues to heat up.
Even after bringing in Justin Dean, Chas McCormick, and Dylan Carlson over the last month, the Chicago Cubs have added another outfielder to compete for the final spot on the Opening Day roster.
Jon Heyman reported early Monday morning that the Cubs have agreed to terms with outfielder Michael Conforto. While the full details of the deal have yet to be announced, Conforto will get a chance to make the Opening Day roster.
The veteran is coming off a discouraging 2025 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He slashed just .199/.305/.333 with 12 home runs, 20 doubles, and 36 RBIs in 138 games. Because of those poor numbers, Conforto was left off the Dodgers' postseason roster.
It was really a disappointing season for Conforto, who didn’t live up to his one-year, $17 million contract. He struggled at the plate, finished in the 19th percentile in expected batting average (.233), and ended the year with a negative WAR (-0.7).
However, the Cubs are banking on the old Conforto to show up — the one that is just a couple of seasons removed from a 20-home run campaign.
Back in 2024, the outfielder put together a solid offensive season with the San Francisco Giants. He slashed .237/.309/.450 with 20 home runs, 27 doubles, three triples, and 66 RBI in 130 games. That season also saw Conforto post solid metrics across the board.
He ranked in the 75th percentile or better in xwOBA (.353), expected slugging (.488), barrel rate (11.8%), hard-hit rate (46%), and chase rate (24.5%). Those numbers helped the slugger land a $17 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason.
The Cubs are hoping that version of Conforto shows up for them this season. That makes this a low-risk, high-reward signing.
Conforto is a seasoned veteran with 10 years of Major League experience. Although he had an extremely poor offensive season in 2025, the 32-year-old has the potential to be a key piece of the Cubs' roster in 2026.
He’s only two years removed from a 20-home run campaign and has shown power at the plate throughout his career. Conforto has 179 career home runs over 10 seasons, including four seasons with 20 or more homers.
The former All-Star will now be battling it out with Dean, McCormick, Carlson, and Kevin Alcantara for that last outfield spot this spring. Despite the late start to camp, it won't take Conforto long to get acclimated.
Given his potential power and experience, Conforto could have the inside track at making the Cubs Opening Day roster