The Cardinals announced Thursday that they’ve claimed lefty Bernardo Flores Jr. off waivers from the White Sox. He’s been optioned to the Cards’ alternate training site. The waiver claim fills the Cardinals’ 40-man roster.
Flores, 24, was Chicago’s seventh-round pick back in 2016 and made his big league debut this past season, tossing two innings and yielding a pair of runs. He’d have spent the 2020 season at the Triple-A level had there been a minor league season, but his top level aside from that brief two-inning cup of coffee in the big leagues has been Double-A. The southpaw has posted strong numbers in parts of two Double-A campaigns, working to a combined 3.04 ERA with an outstanding 4.6 percent walk rate and a 52 percent grounder rate — albeit with a below-average 18.8 percent strikeout rate.
Flores will give the Cardinals some depth both in the rotation and the bullpen. He has a pair of minor league options remaining, so he can be shuttled between Triple-A (or the Cards’ alternate site) and the big leagues over the next two seasons if he sticks on the 40-man roster.
Is this picture from him warning up pregame or did he pitch with sunglasses on?
Welcome to the St Louis Cardinals organization.
He does wear the glasses on the mound — kind of gives him a Roy Orbison look imo.
You’ve got to be really cool to pitch with sunglasses on.
As a White Sox fan, I knew waiving Flores was a possibility but I was hoping against it. In order to add Andrew Vaughn to the 40-man, they had to cut someone and I preferred to keep Flores over Jose Ruiz as he’d be a 3rd southpaw option (behind Bummer and Crochet) in the pen until Fry returns from his injury. Obviously the Sox thought differently.
Anyway, I think Flores will be a decent back-end starter/long reliever if given the opportunity because he throws strikes and possesses an outstanding pickoff move. Good pickup by the Cardinals for a pitcher with a relatively low ceiling but decent floor.
Bernardo Flores Jr. had options remaining. The White Sox didn’t need to DFA him. They could have kept him on the 40-man roster and simply placed Jace Fry on the 6o-day IL retroactive to his early spring camp diagnosis instead of the 10-day IL since he’s not expected to be healthy enough to pitch until mid-May. This along with the 60-day IL placement of Eloy Jimenez would have opened up a roster spot for both NRI’s Andrew Vaughn and Billy Hamilton.
Adding Jake Lamb to the roster cost them a young arm. He is a soft-tosser without huge potential, and while I get the concern re: infield depth, I’d still rather have Flores on the 40-man.
Mark Buehrle was an even softer tosser and much later draft pick than Bernardo Flores Jr. Just saying…
If the White Sox had truly valued Bernardo Flores Jr. they didn’t need to DFA him to clear a roster spot for either Andrew Vaughn or Billy Hamilton. They could have placed Jace Fry on the 60-day IL retroactively back to when he was diagnosed with his injury early in camp. Instead the team decided to place Fry on the 10-day IL along with Adam Engel. Fry is not expected to return to the active roster until mid-May anyway which would have allowed him to spend the necessary 60 days on the IL while keeping Flores Jr. on the 40-man roster.
@Aaron Sapoznik
As much as I think he did a good job overall with the rebuild, Hahn’s made some odd moves over the last couple of seasons, and this looks like another one of them. Maybe the Sox saw something they didn’t like in him, but it does seem odd they wouldn’t put in the effort to keep him on the 40-man as you mentioned, when they had to think he would get claimed.
Uh… have you SEEN the bullpen this year?
You want something to be butt hurt about? How about the Dunning trade? Eloy in LF? Not adding Nelson Cruz or Michael Brantley?
The absolute LAST thing you should be worried about is the bullpen. Trust me, the Sox will survive without Flores. Look at how many relievers drafted by the Sox still floating around the league right now. They know what they’re doing when it comes to pitching.
@ChiSoxCity
I just said it seemed like an odd move. I didn’t say he was the finishing piece that the Sox let slip through their fingers. I’m sure they had a good reason for making this move and yes, I agree, I’m sure they will survive without Flores. Still, it did seem odd.
You said this already
That was a dumb move by the White Sox. Shouldn’t have gotten rid of Flores when they could’ve put Fry on the 60 day IL.
Yeah, but the Sox are still in great shape. I really hope they get to the World Series this year and win it all! Let’s go Sox!