Former Giants fan favorite Wilmer Flores waiting for a call that may never come
· Yahoo Sports
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Infielder Wilmer Flores might have returned to the San Francisco Giants had the team not focused on adding a starting second baseman.
Flores told the Chronicle by phone from Miami on Wednesday that he'd had some talks with his former club this winter, but the Giants told him they were prioritizing second. Once San Francisco signed Luis Arráez, Flores knew he'd no longer be a potential option, with Casey Schmitt expected to slide into Flores' old role.
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"I miss it there, I miss all those guys," Flores said, "but I understand there aren't that many roster spots."
The 13-year MLB veteran with six seasons on the Giants has been a reliable pinch-hitter and right-handed hitting utility player. Flores had some offers to play for teams on minor-league deals with invites to big-league camps, but he's working out in Florida, waiting for a big-league deal. He plans to play this year.
"I'm healthy, I feel good and I'm staying ready," Flores said. "I believe I can help a team. I wouldn't be doing this if I thought I would embarrass myself."
Flores, 34, has a skill set that younger players often do not: Coming off the bench cold, particularly in big situations, is an extremely difficult assignment. A cool temperament, such as Flores', and experience in always being ready go a long way when it comes to a key at-bat late in the game.
To that, a team could value Flores' leadership skills. He was beloved in the clubhouse and was a mentor to the young Latin players, in particular. That could up to a good case for Flores being an asset to teams with a need for a veteran right-handed hitting bench player.
Last season, Flores went 6-for-17 as a pinch-hitter last season. He hit .333 overall with runners in scoring position, tops on the team among players with 75 or more games played, and .271 with men on base for a club that hit .252 overall in such situations. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Flores had a .918 OPS, second only to Devers' 1.206 among those with 75 or more games.
Flores is less than a year removed from the two of the best months any Giants hitter had last year. He recorded 10 homers and an MLB-leading 46 RBIs in April and May. Through June 15, when the club acquired Rafael Devers, he was hitting .256 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs. The Giants were 39-31 in the first 70 games he played and were 41-31 at the time of the Devers deal.
After the Devers acquisition, Flores' playing time dipped dramatically. He hit .218 with five homers and 20 RBIS over his final 55 games. The team went 40-50 overall after June 15. In his six San Francisco seasons, he hit .249/.321/.429 with 92 home runs. On his career as a pinch-hitter, he has hit .263/.353/.464 with nine homers and 39 RBIs on 51 hits.
Flores bears no ill will toward the Giants for not bringing him back. He knows Arráez, a fellow Venezuelan, and believes he will be a good second baseman for S.F.
"He can really hit," Flores said. "And to play second base, you don't always need range – positioning is more important a lot of the time, and he's comfortable there."
Being unsigned in early March is not a career-ender for big-league veterans these days. Even in a league that prizes pitching, there are some notable names still available, Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech among them. Teams such as the Giants are keeping an eye on that market in the event of a need. But there are other right-handed hitting veterans still out there though, including Donovan Solano, Tommy Pham and Tim Anderson.
What Flores is finding right now, though, is that teams are taking long looks at their own young players, especially those out of options, during spring training. There might be more roster flexibility once some of those decisions are made. In the meantime, he's staying in shape, running the bases and hitting off live pitching at a facility in Miami.
"I'm not done playing," Flores said. "I'm just waiting."
This article originally published at Former Giants fan favorite Wilmer Flores waiting for a call that may never come.