It sure is a good thing the SF Giants did not move on from veteran bat this offseason

The SF Giants lightly considered the idea of adding another first baseman in the offseason. Less than two weeks into the season, it is a good thing they did not because veteran bat Wilmer Flores is proving to still have plenty left in the tank.

It sure is a good thing the SF Giants did not move on from veteran bat this offseason

The first-base market moved quickly this offseason. There were several free agents available, including Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, and Pete Alonso. The trade market had a couple of options as well like Josh Naylor and Nathaniel Lowe.

The Giants had some level of interest in Goldschmidt before he joined the New York Yankees on a one-year deal. The move would have likely bumped one of Flores or Jerar Encarnación off the roster.

Goldschmidt, Flores, and Encarnación all hit from the right side and are all relatively limited defensively. There is no way the Giants could have held on to all three hitters in this scenario.

The Giants like Encarnación. The right-handed bat was coming off of a decent year at the plate while showing above-average power upside. He posted a .702 OPS with five home runs and 19 RBI in 119 plate appearances down the stretch last year.

On the other hand, Flores was coming off an injury-plagued year. He struggled to a .595 OPS with four home runs and 26 RBI in 242 plate appearances before being shut down midway through the year to undergo a season-ending knee procedure. There is a good chance that the fan favorite would have been the odd man out.

Flores' contract was going to be on the books regardless of the decision they made. He had a mutual option on paper, but that was a $3.5 million player option in practice. Free agency is a tough spot for DH-types coming off a down year. Flores would have struggled to match that $3.5 million salary in free agency, so exercising the option was an easy decision.

There was no question about that. There were questions about whether he would remain with the club after that decision.

It is a moot point now, and it is a good thing they held onto him, whether intentionally or not. He has rewarded that decision in the early going. The 13-year veteran played a role in a comeback victory against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. He collected three hits, including a solo home run, with two RBI in an 8-6 victory over the Reds.

Overall, Flores has posted a .918 OPS with five home runs and 14 RBI across 46 plate appearances this season. There is some regression due, but the veteran hitter is showing that he can still help out this team in a big way.