Veteran infielder Wilmer Flores remains unsigned with about three weeks to go until Opening Day. He tells Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he has had some minor league offers but he is hoping to land a major league deal. He plans to play this year and is working out in Florida to keep himself ready. “I’m not done playing,” Flores said. “I’m just waiting.”
Flores, 34, spent the past six years with the Giants. He served as a valuable multi-positional player for most of that time but has been more limited recently. From 2020 to 2023, he made 1,705 plate appearances and slashed .257/.331/.454 for a 116 wRC+, indicating he was 16% better than league average. He logged over 700 innings at each of the non-shortstop infield spots.
In 2024, he was hampered by knee problems. He only got into 71 games and produced a limp .206/.277/.318 line in those. His 2025 was a bit more encouraging but still came with limitations. He was at third base for just nine innings and didn’t appear at second base. He saw more time at first but only made 23 starts there, mostly serving as a designated hitter. His .241/.307/.379 line was better than in 2024 but still came in below average, with a 95 wRC+.
A return to the Giants in 2026 was never especially likely. He’s mostly down to a first base only guy at this point. He hasn’t played second base since 2023 and only logged ten innings that year. He logged 14 innings at third base in 2024 and nine last year. The Giants don’t have a lot of first base playing time to offer, with Rafael Devers the regular at that spot going forward. If Bryce Eldridge cements himself as a viable big leaguer, he and Devers will have first base and the designated hitter spot occupied for years to come.
Flores tells Slusser that he had some talks with the Giants this winter but the club informed him they would be prioritizing second base. Flores says he knew he wouldn’t be a Giant again when they signed Luis Arráez, which bumped Casey Schmitt down to being the righty-hitting multi-positional infielder, the job Flores used to have.
Other clubs seemingly have some interest in Flores, though not enough for him to have a roster spot at the moment. He’s not the ideal fit for a platoon bat, as he hasn’t had wide splits in his career. He has been better against lefties but not drastically so, with a .266/.319/.468 line and 113 wRC+ against southpaws compared to a .255/.314/.409 line and 100 wRC+ otherwise. He was slightly better against righties in 2025.
Though he hasn’t been offered a roster spot yet, it’s always possible that new developments change the situation. The Cubs had planned on Tyler Austin serving as a righty complement to first baseman Michael Busch but Austin recently required knee surgery and is going to be out months. Atlanta was going to have Jurickson Profar as their designated hitter but he just got hit with a yearlong PED suspension. That frees up some at-bats and some money for the club, as Profar won’t be paid while serving. Other injuries are sure to pop up over time as well.
Flores will have competition for those opportunities. Guys like Justin Turner and Rowdy Tellez are also free agents, while guys like Ryan Mountcastle, Isaac Paredes, Triston Casas and Mark Vientos could be available on the trade block.
Photo courtesy of Eakin Howard, Imagn Images
Congratulations on a long and prosperous career, Wilmer! Happy retirement!
Slow and not a great glove but he can sure drop the bat head on the ball
Dude could be playing himself on to a roster right now. With a few weeks to go, should be obvious that big league deal ain’t coming….
Definitely a way of looking at at….
The chorus to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Please don’t associate me with Wilma
Famous for a few teardrops.
Could be a Rockies-type pickup. He might have to wait for an injury or two to get signed
Exactly what I was thinking. Not the most ethical, at the lack of a better word, thing to say, of course, but last minute panic signings always happen and pretty sure he is counting on that
I could see that. Especially if Rumfield or Crim has a tough spring and they don’t want to rush Condon. He could easily step in at first for a while.
He just has to know there’s no crying in baseball. Yes I realize that he was visibly upset after he thought he was being traded for Carlos Gomez was like 10 year ago or something like that
Can’t say I blame him completely. I wouldn’t want to be traded to the Brewers either.
He will be holding out for a while then.
He had a decent year at the plate, 96 OPS plus. A light hitting bat, so good luck to him!
Is he still crying after almost being traded?
God you’re old.
Maybe, maybe not. But that reference sure is old.
He wasn’t actually traded. The deal fell through. Maybe he was traded later in his career but it wasn’t when he was crying on the field .
Flores better than 70 percent of batters on most teams.
Over the past two seasons his wRC+ ranks 272 out of 363 players with 400 plate appearances or more.
It’s actually 75% of hitter that are better than him now.
Playing through knee tendinitis and trying to come back from surgery.
Good for him. Surprised the Cubs haven’t come calling yet.
They seem to be working through the Conforto/McCormick/Carlson trio for one or two outfield bench spots and deciding to let Busch play almost every day at 1B. Owen Miller can play 1B and he might be in the running for the last spot.
His production vs LHP is probably not good enough for them
Time to hang them up Wilmer unless the braves want a replacement for Profar
16 HR’S and 71 RBI’S as a part time player in 2025. Teams could do much worse. Those numbers deserve a MLB roster spot. Wilmer basically carried the Giants early in 2025 to one of the best records in the league. Ultimate team player, clubhouse presence and mentor. I wish him the absolute best luck.
As a Giants’ fan I loved having Wilmer on the team. He was a solid ballplayer for the Giants, and a good clubhouse guy. Some will say he didn’t have a good glove, but that’s not quite right. The glove was fine, it was the lack of range that made him a subpar defender. But if he could get to the ball, he’d make the play. I hope he finds an MLB roster spot.
He’s a solid bat off the bench
Some DH time just opened up in Atlanta.
That could work. I especially like the idea of the still playable and positive clubhouse guy Wilmer Flores taking ABs that would otherwise have been wasted on juiced-up knucklehead Jurickson Profar.
Fan favorite but doesn’t seem to have a lot left in the tank. After a strong spring and first half last year (rebounding from a terrible 2024 which was followed by knee surgery), he completely faded in the second half.
He’s pretty immobile at this point (no defensive range and super slow on the base paths), so the bat is all he’s got. And a 162-game season doesn’t seem doable any more. As a Giants fan, sorry to see him decline like this ….
Emal: Wilmer lost a lot of playing time once the Giants picked up Dom Smith and Devers. I think Melvin kind of let Wilmer slide further down the bench. So Wilmer wasn’t as sharp in the 2nd half because he wasn’t getting enough PT. It was tough watching him on the bases though. He’s a forever Giant imho.
Bet he wouldn’t be crying if the Brewers came calling again. That call isn’t coming though.
In 1964-1975 a player like Wilmer was bound by statute to sign a contract to play in Japan and go 35-112-.265. The good ol’ days.
He had his chance to be a walk-on but his investment portfolio was above it.
Get Wilmer back Mets
Shades of Brandon Belt. Looking forward to a Wilmer Flores celebration day in a few years.
Non: Great point. Belt not getting a job in 2025 after the numbers he put up in Toronto was a little weird. Belt is a forever Giant also. Many great moments.
I was shocked by that. Could still play a solid 1b even. Maybe he diddnt like any of the offers he got.
Wilmer is such a class act. I sure hope he plays another couple of years. He will likely have to settle for a minor league deal at this point.
The Giants or Mets would have been the sentimental picks for Wilmer but more likely it will be a rebuilding team that wants his leadership and character as a steadying presence for their younger players then trade him to a contender in July if he’s playing well.
There are still 4 or 5 free agents who will get MLB deals out there, but they’re all pitchers.
Keep on keeping on Wilmer. Giants fans will always love you.
He could be a RH compliment for Clemens at 1B for the Twins
Me too
A lot of first base only guys looking for jobs. He might wish he took one of those offers, but I’m sure he isn’t hurting for money after his career, unless he was just stupid with his money.
BlueJays should sign him to DH