Former New York Mets fan-favorite Wilmer Flores is reportedly “being eyed” by the Tampa Bay Rays, as per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
“After failing to land Nelson Cruz, [the] Rays [are] still looking at big [right-handed hitting] pieces in trades,” Sherman tweeted, listing Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto as potential targets. But [they are] more likely to get a complementary right-handed bat and […] Wilmer Flores is in [the] group being eyed.”
Flores, 27, spent the first six years of his major league career with the Mets after signing with the team as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela. He carries with him a .262/.303/.424 slash line, 68 home runs, 253 runs batted in, 96 doubles, and a 100 OPS+ rating over 581 games played as he searches for a new team.
Over 126 games last season (429 plate appearances), Flores hit .267/319/.417 with 11 homers, 51 RBI, 25 doubles, a career-l0w 9.8 percent strikeout rate, .316 weighted on-base average, 103 weighted runs created plus rating, and a .269 BABIP.
Throughout his career, the right-handed Flores has hit lefties well (.265/.309/.471 in 573 plate appearances), reaching his peak of effectiveness in 2016 when he slashed .340/.383/.710 in 100 at-bats versus southpaws.
Despite versatility in the field — he can play first, second, or third base — he’s a below average fielder at each of those positions. Worse yet, Flores was diagnosed with early-onset arthritis in both of his knees last season, which arguably led to the Mets non-tendering him on November 30.
