A seasoned striker Wilmer Flores remains unsigned with three weeks to go until Opening Day. He tells Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he has been offered some league deals but is hoping to get a major league deal. He plans to play this year and is working in Florida to keep fit. “I’m not done playing yet,” said Flores. “I’m waiting.”
Flores, 34, spent the last six years with the Giants. He has served as a key multi-position player for most of the season but has been limited recently. From 2020 to 2023, he made 1,705 plate appearances and slashed .257/.331/.454 with a 116 wRC+, which was 16% better than the league average. He logged more than 700 innings at every non-shortstop infield position.
In 2024, he was hampered by knee problems. He got into just 71 games and produced a .206/.277/.318 slash line in those. His year 2025 was very encouraging but still comes with limitations. He was third in just nine innings and did not appear in the second. He saw more time at first but made 23 starts there, mostly serving as the designated hitter. His .241/.307/.379 line was better than in 2024 but still below average, with a 95 wRC+.
A return to the Giants in 2026 was particularly unlikely. It’s mostly down to the first guy only at this point. He hasn’t played second base since 2023 and pitched just ten innings that year. He went 14 innings at third base in 2024 and nine last year. The Giants don’t have much starting playing time to offer Rafael Devers normal in that area going forward. If Bryce Eldridge cementing himself as an active major leaguer, he and Devers will have a first base and designated hitter spot that will last for years to come.
Flores tells Slusser that he has had some discussions with the Giants this winter but the club has informed him that they will prioritize second base. Flores says he knew he would never be a Giant again when they signed Luis Arráezwhich exploded Casey Schmitt down to being a ball player who plays a lot of space and hits well, the job Flores had.
Other clubs seem to have some interest in Flores, though not enough for him to have a roster spot yet. He is not a suitable bat for a platoon, as he has never had a wide division in his career. He was better against pitchers but not by much, with a .266/.319/.468 line and a 113 wRC+ against southpaws compared to a .255/.314/.409 line and a 100 wRC+ against them. He was slightly better compared to the righties in 2025.
Although it has not yet been given a roster spot, it is always possible that a new development has changed the situation. The Cubs were planning Tyler Austin serving as a perfect complement to the first baseman Michael Busch but Austin just needed knee surgery and will be out for months. Atlanta would have it Jurickson Profar as their designated hitter but recently received a year-long PED suspension. That frees up at-bats and club money, as Profar will not be paid while active. Other injuries will appear later as well.
Flores will be competitive in those opportunities. Boys love it Justin Turner again Rowdy Tellez they are also free agents, while the boys like Ryan Mountcastle, Isaac Paredes, Places to stay in Triston Casas again Mark Vientos can be found in the trade block.
Photo courtesy of Eakin Howard, Imagn Images
