Popular former SF Giants infielder aims to continue playing career

Former first baseman and designated hitter Wilmer Flores, whom Giants fans still hold in high regard thanks to six productive years in the orange and black, has had a quiet offseason as far as news reports are concerned. It hasn’t sounded as if too many teams have come calling to retain his services for the upcoming season, and there was at least some question whether his career would continue. In an interview with Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle, Wilmer himself put those questions to rest. “I’m not done playing,” he told Slusser, “I’m just waiting.”

Popular former SF Giants infielder aims to continue playing career

What he’s been waiting for, he confirmed, is a major league deal. Apparently, more than one team has offered him a minor league contract, presumably with an invitation to Spring Training, but Flores is holding out for a guaranteed roster spot. That’s understandable, coming from a 13-year veteran who has often been lauded for his clubhouse presence and clutch-hitting gene.

Free agency hasn’t been especially kind to first basemen in recent years, though, unless they’re in the Pete Alonso tier. Flores is also 34 and has only produced a cumulative 86 wRC+ over the last two seasons. Dominic Smith, who is younger, a better defender, and coming off a much better season (111 wRC+, 0.4 WAR) had to settle for a minor league deal with the Braves, so the lack of major league opportunities for Flores isn’t especially surprising when viewed from that lens.

An even more pessimistic comparison than Smith would be the namesake of the long-forgotten Belt Wars, Brandon Belt. Belt was excellent in a 103-game stint with the Blue Jays back in 2023 (.254/.369/.490, 137 wRC+), but even that production didn’t serve to help him prolong his career, and the 35-year-old concluded his playing career after 13 seasons. Perhaps Belt was holding out for an everyday role, but it always seemed strange that he wasn’t able to find a good gig after that.

If a team does come calling before Spring Training comes to an end, it will probably just be to offer Flores the short side of a platoon role. He’s a career 113 wRC+ hitter against LHP, and comes with that aforementioned sterling clubhouse reputation, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that a younger team could look for an infusion of veteran stability and offer him a contract.

Surveying the league for possible fits, the Colorado Rockies are an obvious choice. Their plan right now seems to be a platoon of Troy Johnston and Blaine Crim, neither of whom bring any name recognition or history of major league success. Crim, the right-hander of that duo, also has two options remaining and could easily be optioned to the minors in favor of Flores, should they decide to go that route.

Other speculative fits are the Marlins, who are running with an equally uninspiring platoon of Liam Hicks and Christopher Morel, and the Nationals, who don’t really have a first baseman outside of Andrés Chaparro and a handful of non-roster invitees. Whether Flores is offered a job in the next few weeks or has to wait until an injury crops up after Opening Day, I think I speak for all Giants fans when I say we’re rooting for him to find a good opportunity somewhere. He was a great Giant, an even better human being, and deserves to have his playing career come to an end on his own terms.