Yesterday as I was laying in bed I was thinking about the Nats - not out of the ordinary, but don't tell my fiancee that... And as I was laying there I was wondering about who exactly Jesus Flores is as a player. Is he going to be the 2009 starter that hit .301 or is he going to be the player that was confounded by injuries?
Jesus Flores fascinates me. The guy just doesn't have the word quit in his vocabulary. In 2007 he was drafted by the Nationals from the Mets in the Rule V (five) Draft and, improbably, stayed with the team the entire season. Even more incredible is the fact that he was able to register a 0.6 WAR in just 79 games despite the fact that the previous year he had only made it to High-A Port St. Lucie. He hit .266 in 2006 at High-A and he hit .244 in 2007 in the Majors. Insanity.
It's around this time that GM Jim Bowden realized that he found something special, a catcher with a serious learning curve. And things would only get better as he successfully split-time with Johnny Estrada and Wil Nieves in 2008.
2009 would end up being the turning point in Jesus Flores career. He started the season on a tear and hit .311 in his first 26 games until a rogue foul ball hit him in the right shoulder.
Flores would make it back to the majors in September for 3 ABs but all told he missed the rest of the 2009 season and the entire 2010 season with a stress fracture in his shoulder (which Rizzo said would be fine in no more than three months).
Despite the fact that he was the starting Catcher when he was injured, Flores found himself has the third wheel in the Nationals organization. Finally healthy, he was in Syracuse trying to scrape the Big Leagues yet again, blocked by Ramos and Pudge. His numbers were less than stellar (.234/.252/.378) but he was brought up to the Majors anyway come July, because really, every team needs three catchers on their 25 man...
His numbers in 2011 were merely a shadow of his former self - .209/.253/.314, yep, that's a slugging of .314. He was out-slugged by two National League pitchers; Daniel Hudson .369 and Yovani Gallardo .324.
I, as a baseball fan, hope that Jesus Flores can reclaim the magic that made him a future star in 2009. This will definitely be one of the stories that we will be following this spring, which Flores is going to show up to camp; a healthy one or a shell of his former self.
The Spring Awaits!!
Showing posts with label Jesus Flores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus Flores. Show all posts
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A Few Good Men: 16 - Flores
Jesus Flores – Age 27 – MLB Service time 4 years
How He Became a Nat: Plucked away from the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft in 2006.
The Raw Numbers:
Games – 30
AVG - .209
WAR – (-)0.2
Key Stat: RBIs – 2. When Flores came on the scene as a Nat in 2007 he was never an offensive juggernaut. But what he did do well was come up with timely hits with runners on base, particularly in scoring position. In 22 ABs with runners in scoring position Flores had 2 hits and 1 RBI to go along with 9 Ks. With runners on base in general he was 4-39 with 1 RBI and 16 Ks. In his rookie year he hit almost .200 points higher with RISP, including .292 with RISP and 2 outs, and .282 in games that were “Late & Close”.
Best Game: Sept 3 vs. the very same team that left him unprotected in 2006, the New York Mets. He went 3-4 with a 2B, a run and an RBI. He sparked the 9th inning rally with a deep drive to left and was lifted for pinch-runner Brian Bixler, who scored along with Jonny Gomes on a walk off Ryan Zimmerman single.
Worst Game: August 28 vs. the Reds. Over 14 innings Flores managed 1 hit (basically a swinging bunt) in 6 ABs, while striking out 3 times. He left 3 runners on base including the tying run in the top of the 14th.
CapBall Grade: C-. The body of work for the season is barely D worthy. He was nonexistent at the plate and while his defense was solid, he was simply outplayed by Wilson Ramos and now must question his role in the organization with Derek Norris tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League. That being said, he showed a tremendous amount of stick-to-itiveness in battling back from a very serious injury to play in the Bigs for the first time in almost 2 years. So we bumped him up a letter grade.
2012 Nats Status: Flores is arbitration eligible and while he might get a raise, it will be a modest one at best. Mike Rizzo thinks he is a suitable back-up option for Wilson Ramos, but if Jesus has a better than average Spring Training, Rizzo will not hesitate to flip him for almost anything.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Flores to Replace Zim on 25-Man
In a surprise, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has announced that Jesus Flores will be called up from AAA Syracuse to replace Ryan Zimmerman, who is sidelined with a "strained abdominal muscle". If anything, this raises more questions than it answers.
1) Is Flores actually healthy?
He has played in 4 of the 5 Syracuse games thus far this season, and though he has struggled to hit the baseball (much like in Spring Training) he has still been in there. Hitting just .125 in Spring Training and now .154 in AAA action, Flores' call-up is a simply a curious move. One of the reasons he was sent to AAA is to confirm his health, by having the 26 year-old play every day, this isn't going to get that done.
2) Is Pudge on his way out?
Though Pudge has made his 3 hits count on the year (racking up 4 RBIs in some clutch situations), he has been struggling since posting a solid .278 average this Spring. If the Nationals are sure of Flores shoulder health, we could be looking at the last few appearances of Pudge in a Nationals uniform because there is no way we keep 3 catchers on the 25-man for very long.
3) Are we really going to rely on Cora and Hairston to fill in for Zim?
It would stand to reason that we would call up an infielder, such as Brian Bixler to fill in an infield hole. Catcher is, for lack of a better phrase, out in left field. Less likely but still making sense would be to bring in an Outfielder to replace Hairston while he covers for Zim at 3B. Bernadina would be a solid fit here, as he actually hits LHP better than RHP.
4) Will the Nats regret trading Alberto Gonzalez or not signing Willie Harris?
The role of utility player is pretty important to an injury prone ballclub, because you never know who is going to be injured, when, or what position they might play. Each of these players have gotten off to solid starts with their new teams (AG hitting .300, Harris hitting .296), while the Nats' bench players are hitting just 6 for 55 on the year...
5) Is this simply having a need for a right handed bench player?
Most likely, considering Nix, Stairs, and Cora are all left-handed hitters. There is a dearth MLB-ready talent in the Nats organization, and this Flores move shows off that emptiness. Even still, its fun to ask the questions.
1) Is Flores actually healthy?
He has played in 4 of the 5 Syracuse games thus far this season, and though he has struggled to hit the baseball (much like in Spring Training) he has still been in there. Hitting just .125 in Spring Training and now .154 in AAA action, Flores' call-up is a simply a curious move. One of the reasons he was sent to AAA is to confirm his health, by having the 26 year-old play every day, this isn't going to get that done.
2) Is Pudge on his way out?
Though Pudge has made his 3 hits count on the year (racking up 4 RBIs in some clutch situations), he has been struggling since posting a solid .278 average this Spring. If the Nationals are sure of Flores shoulder health, we could be looking at the last few appearances of Pudge in a Nationals uniform because there is no way we keep 3 catchers on the 25-man for very long.
3) Are we really going to rely on Cora and Hairston to fill in for Zim?
It would stand to reason that we would call up an infielder, such as Brian Bixler to fill in an infield hole. Catcher is, for lack of a better phrase, out in left field. Less likely but still making sense would be to bring in an Outfielder to replace Hairston while he covers for Zim at 3B. Bernadina would be a solid fit here, as he actually hits LHP better than RHP.
4) Will the Nats regret trading Alberto Gonzalez or not signing Willie Harris?
The role of utility player is pretty important to an injury prone ballclub, because you never know who is going to be injured, when, or what position they might play. Each of these players have gotten off to solid starts with their new teams (AG hitting .300, Harris hitting .296), while the Nats' bench players are hitting just 6 for 55 on the year...
5) Is this simply having a need for a right handed bench player?
Most likely, considering Nix, Stairs, and Cora are all left-handed hitters. There is a dearth MLB-ready talent in the Nats organization, and this Flores move shows off that emptiness. Even still, its fun to ask the questions.
Edit (addition):
6) Could Pudge earn time as the first baseman?
With Flores coming up from the minors and sharing time with Ramos behind the plate, this might be the time to get Pudge some time at first base. Adam LaRoche's injuries continue to mount (first shoulder, then groin), and we seriously don't like the condition of Adam's throwing shoulder. This could be Pudge's opportunity to extend his career and still mentor the young Nats catchers.
What are your thoughts on Flores' call-up?? The Comment's section awaits.
What are your thoughts on Flores' call-up?? The Comment's section awaits.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
5 Players to Watch
With Pitcher's and Catcher's now firmly situated in Viera, running through flip drills and bullpen sessions, the dust is finally being kicked up on the 2011 season. We have gone over some of the spring training battles in the past, focusing on different positions and roles that are up in the air. Now it's time to turn our attention to some more specifics, who exactly are we watching and what for? Lets' single out 5 players who we've got our eyes on in Spring Training.
Jesus Flores - Catcher
Is he finally healthy? Flores has spent his career as a long-shot, signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets, the 17 year-old Flores worked his way up through the system. By 2006, Flores was busy hitting .266 with an OPS of .822, in 120 games in High-A Port St. Lucie (also 21 HR and 70 RBI). The Mets decided to leave him off their 40-man roster at the end of the season and the Nats picked him in the Rule 5 draft, hoping to keep him on the big league team for the rest of the year. Flores proved to be a very serviceable backup, providing mediocre numbers with solid defense while giving fans hope for the future. He would spend much of the next 3 years on the DL with a variety of injuries ranging from a sprained ankle to broken shoulder to a torn labrum. Is this the time where Flores is finally healthy and ready to build on his amazing start to the 2009 season (.301 AVG and .877 OPS)?
Ross Detwiler - LHP
Is he finally healthy? This blurb will appear very similar to the previous one, with all the same stories being told. Tons of untapped potential. The only difference here is that Ross Detwiler was taken as the 6th overall selection in the 2007 Draft. Detwiler had the distinction of falling into the same boat as Justin Maxwell, called up to the Majors just a few months after signing with the club, starting his arbitration clock way too early. Early on it became evident that Ross was going to run into lots of problems due to the fact that his delivery crossed his body, creating unnecessary pressure on his left hip. True enough, he has had 2 separate trips to the DL with a chronic hip injury. In his limited time in the Majors, Ross has put up a 2-9 record with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP, not very solid for a first-round selection. If Ross can't put it together this year, it's time to starting using the word "bust".
Nyjer Morgan - CF
Nyjer's problems have been well-documented. Coming over from the Pirates in 2009, Morgan solidified a position as a future Nats star when he hit .351 and stole 24 out of 31 bags in just 49 games. Then 2010 rolled around, and it became apparent that Morgan was a loose cannon. His batting average dropped to a career low and he led baseball in Caught Stealing, hopefully new Nats 3B coach Bo Porter can work his magic in that department... Stats aside, there were tantrums in the outfield and brawls in Florida, Morgan lost a lot of goodwill with the fans. Normally this would be forgiven with solid play (See: Manny Ramirez's entire career), but Morgan struggled in every place he succeeded just one year prior; at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field. I am already on the record as saying that I believe Morgan will lose his job by July, its now up to him whether or not that happens.
Jason Marquis - RHP
Marquis was last years "big name pitcher" the Nats acquired after failing to get someone better. Signed for a 2 year/$15 million dollar contract, Marquis dazzled opposing team's fans in his first three starts, giving up 19 ER in his first 8 IP in a Nationals uniform. The lowest of low points came on the Nats first Sunday Home game of the year, when Marquis failed to record an out despite giving up 7 ER en route to a 10 run first innning. Immediately going on the DL with a "right elbow injury" (read: case of the can't-pitch-itis), Marquis was out for most of the year. He came back in August and proceeded to pitch in a bi-polar nature; couple good starts, then a bad one, couple good starts, really bad one. The only impressive thing from his 2010 season is that he was able to lower his ERA from 20.52 all the way down to 6.60 by the end of the year. Going into Spring Training, he is almost guaranteed a spot on the rotation due to the large financial commitment ($7.5 million) the team has already made. Marquis needs to have a quick recovery from his worst year as a professional, if it doesn't happen by the end of Spring Training I could see Marquis getting a pink-slip before the ball club heads north to Washington.
Bryce Harper - OF
The wunderkind himself. No player will get as much buzz as the 18 year old phenom come March 1st. In all reality Bryce Harper has no real shot at making the big league ball club, but that won't matter to baseball pundits or fans. Fresh out of a stellar performance at the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .343 with a 1.039 OPS, this will only be Harper's second experience with Major League pitching. The only real markers that Nats fans should be looking for out of Bryce will be his adjustment to the outfield and how he can hit a Big League curveball. I, for one, hope that when Capitol Baseball makes our trek down to Viera that Bryce Harper is still in Big League Camp.
Jesus Flores - Catcher
Is he finally healthy? Flores has spent his career as a long-shot, signed as an amateur free agent by the Mets, the 17 year-old Flores worked his way up through the system. By 2006, Flores was busy hitting .266 with an OPS of .822, in 120 games in High-A Port St. Lucie (also 21 HR and 70 RBI). The Mets decided to leave him off their 40-man roster at the end of the season and the Nats picked him in the Rule 5 draft, hoping to keep him on the big league team for the rest of the year. Flores proved to be a very serviceable backup, providing mediocre numbers with solid defense while giving fans hope for the future. He would spend much of the next 3 years on the DL with a variety of injuries ranging from a sprained ankle to broken shoulder to a torn labrum. Is this the time where Flores is finally healthy and ready to build on his amazing start to the 2009 season (.301 AVG and .877 OPS)?
Ross Detwiler - LHP
Is he finally healthy? This blurb will appear very similar to the previous one, with all the same stories being told. Tons of untapped potential. The only difference here is that Ross Detwiler was taken as the 6th overall selection in the 2007 Draft. Detwiler had the distinction of falling into the same boat as Justin Maxwell, called up to the Majors just a few months after signing with the club, starting his arbitration clock way too early. Early on it became evident that Ross was going to run into lots of problems due to the fact that his delivery crossed his body, creating unnecessary pressure on his left hip. True enough, he has had 2 separate trips to the DL with a chronic hip injury. In his limited time in the Majors, Ross has put up a 2-9 record with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP, not very solid for a first-round selection. If Ross can't put it together this year, it's time to starting using the word "bust".
Nyjer Morgan - CF
Nyjer's problems have been well-documented. Coming over from the Pirates in 2009, Morgan solidified a position as a future Nats star when he hit .351 and stole 24 out of 31 bags in just 49 games. Then 2010 rolled around, and it became apparent that Morgan was a loose cannon. His batting average dropped to a career low and he led baseball in Caught Stealing, hopefully new Nats 3B coach Bo Porter can work his magic in that department... Stats aside, there were tantrums in the outfield and brawls in Florida, Morgan lost a lot of goodwill with the fans. Normally this would be forgiven with solid play (See: Manny Ramirez's entire career), but Morgan struggled in every place he succeeded just one year prior; at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field. I am already on the record as saying that I believe Morgan will lose his job by July, its now up to him whether or not that happens.
Jason Marquis - RHP
Marquis was last years "big name pitcher" the Nats acquired after failing to get someone better. Signed for a 2 year/$15 million dollar contract, Marquis dazzled opposing team's fans in his first three starts, giving up 19 ER in his first 8 IP in a Nationals uniform. The lowest of low points came on the Nats first Sunday Home game of the year, when Marquis failed to record an out despite giving up 7 ER en route to a 10 run first innning. Immediately going on the DL with a "right elbow injury" (read: case of the can't-pitch-itis), Marquis was out for most of the year. He came back in August and proceeded to pitch in a bi-polar nature; couple good starts, then a bad one, couple good starts, really bad one. The only impressive thing from his 2010 season is that he was able to lower his ERA from 20.52 all the way down to 6.60 by the end of the year. Going into Spring Training, he is almost guaranteed a spot on the rotation due to the large financial commitment ($7.5 million) the team has already made. Marquis needs to have a quick recovery from his worst year as a professional, if it doesn't happen by the end of Spring Training I could see Marquis getting a pink-slip before the ball club heads north to Washington.
Bryce Harper - OF
The wunderkind himself. No player will get as much buzz as the 18 year old phenom come March 1st. In all reality Bryce Harper has no real shot at making the big league ball club, but that won't matter to baseball pundits or fans. Fresh out of a stellar performance at the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .343 with a 1.039 OPS, this will only be Harper's second experience with Major League pitching. The only real markers that Nats fans should be looking for out of Bryce will be his adjustment to the outfield and how he can hit a Big League curveball. I, for one, hope that when Capitol Baseball makes our trek down to Viera that Bryce Harper is still in Big League Camp.
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