4 Atlanta Braves Black Friday doorbuster bargains to consider
Wilmer Flores
- Middle infielder
- 6’3″ / 205 LBS.
- AGE: 28
- SERVICE TIME: 6 years
- DRAFTED: International signee (2008, Venezuela)
- LAST CONTRACT: $3.75m ($6 option declined for 2020)
- HOMETOWN: VALENCIA, VZ
There’s a lot of noise going around now about how Jonathan Villar – a 4.0 WAR performer in 2019 – is being dumped by Baltimore and that nobody is claiming him. That’s all about his projected $10.4 million salary in 2020.
In Wilmer Flores, the DBacks chose not to pay $6 million to a player who hit .317 for them in part time duty while OPSing .848… a marked increase over his career numbers despite a part time role.
The Braves got good mileage out of Adeiny Hechavarria last Fall, and that’s the kind of role that Flores would get if they chose to pick him up… and $3 million might be enough to get that done.
He’s not flashy as a fielder, but adequate in a pinch. At the plate he will put the ball in play and really mashed left-handed pitching last season (.375 at home; .333 on the road). He wasn’t a pushover against RHP either.
The Braves have Johan Camargo for this kind of role… at least they do at this time. If he falters again or is otherwise slow to start in 2020 again, then perhaps someone like Flores could fill the bill either late in Spring or at some point during the year.