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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the day Jorge Soler showed up to Giants camp to take over as designated hitter, Wilmer Flores gave an interview and talked about his credit for bringing Soler to San Francisco. A few minutes later, Flores was asked about his role in 2024. He shrugged his shoulders and said he wasn’t sure.
“You know what happens every year…” he said with a smile.
For the veteran infielder, the orange and black seem to start the same way every year. Flores has never had a position to call his own, but by some point in the summer he seems to be returning to the center of the lineup as one of the Giants’ most important hitters of all time. Last year was probably the best example ever.
After signing a contract extension in late 2022, Flores started on Opening Day, but then was in the lineup just one more time through the first eight games. He was solid at first base for the remainder of April, but in late May the staff went in a different direction again, and Flores did not start for more than a week. The lack of playing time during this period was so obvious that then-manager Gabe Kapler called Flores into a meeting just to review the situation.
At the time, the Giants wanted to keep Casey Schmidt in the lineup after he hit the ground running and keep a close eye on Brett Wisely. But by the end of the year, it was clear the staff wasn’t relying on Flores enough. He was the team’s best hitter, posting his career numbers and seemed to establish himself as his successor after the Giants let DH Joc Pederson depart.
The addition of Soler cuts off his path to playing time, but the plan is still to rely heavily on Flores.
“He’s been our best hitter, and if we were planning on having him as our DH going into this year and giving him 500 to 600 at-bats, just because of what he can bring at that spot. So we’re in pretty good shape,” said Farhan Zaidi, director of baseball operations. “But we’re just learning how he can cover first and third. He can obviously also DH, and he’s going to end up accumulating at-bats at those spots. That’s something that’s very valuable about him.” One is that he can play from anywhere, whether it’s being a part-time player, just playing against left-handers, or all of a sudden playing every day for two or three weeks, he knows how to handle those situations. There is. ”
Flores has thrived in this role, but it’s not easy. Hitters rely on finding the right rhythm, and the Giants have always asked Flores to stay sharp without accumulating too many back-to-back starts. Many nights, he spends several innings preparing for a big pinch-hitter at-bat.
“A lot of people ask me about that, and I say coming off the bench is something people are not good at,” Flores said Friday on the “Giants Talk” podcast. “They gave me a chance, they gave me a lot of at-bats, I got into a rhythm, but I’m not good at coming off the bench or playing every three days. I’m good at that. “But I think I had a chance to play a lot with the Giants. There were weeks last year where I didn’t play for like seven days. There’s no way you’re going to be good at that. But I did well. “We had a lot of chances and I’m happy about that.”
After all, Flores always seems to find a way to get to the plate in some way. He had 213 at-bats during the shortened 2020 MLB season and 436 the following year. Flores had a career-high 602 at-bats in 2022 and finished with 454 at-bats last year despite a dry spell early on and a stint on the IL with a bruised foot.
Manager Bob Melvin inserted Flores into the lineup Saturday as a first baseman, and he is expected to split the position with Lamonte Wade Jr. once the season begins. When asked about playing time, Melvin often points out that injuries change lineups. Soler has struggled to stay healthy for a long time, and Flores will likely play third base in addition to first base and DH.
Melvin sees from the other side just how impactful Flores can be, and the Giants can help him surpass last year’s career-high 23 home runs and career-best major league mark of 136 wRC+. I hope so. Coach Flores said his success is due to improved pitch selection and health.
“My lower body is fine and I think I can use it a little more (in my swing),” he said. “I was just trying to make good pitches and drive them, but I think the main thing was that my lower body was working well.”
The Giants expect Flores to not only lead the lineup but also contribute in the clubhouse. He doesn’t speak up on a daily basis, but when he sees something he doesn’t like, he does. Joining Tairo Estrada on a Zoom call to recruit Soler was an easy choice.
Coach Flores was happy to point out that Soler makes the team better and that’s important. The man leading the reinforcements was happy to have Flores called up, even if the push took some diversity out of the lineup and filled the spot Flores was supposed to belong to.
“He’s going to play a lot and win,” Zaidi said. “It’s not a fixed spot in the lineup, it’s not a fixed spot on the field, but his ability to play a few different spots and be the first line of defense in a few places can add up. Sho.”
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