3 salary dump candidates with potential the Pirates should pursue this offseason

Wilmer Flores

Wilmer Flores is coming off the worst year of his career. In just 242 plate appearances, Flores batted a meager .206/.277/.318 with a .262 wOBA and 68 wRC+. Flores put up a respectable 8.3% walk rate and struck out just 13.6% of the time, but that’s about where the positives end. The veteran infielder hit just four home runs with a .112 isolated slugging percentage. His exit velocity was just 83.5 MPH.

Still, amid the disaster, reasons remain regarding why Flores could rebound. He is only a year removed from a career year in 2023, when he batted .284/.355/.509 in 454 plate appearances. Both his 23 home runs and .225 isolated slugging percentage were career-bests. Flores walked at a 9% rate with a 13.9% K%. This led to an outstanding .368 wOBA and 134 wRC+. He put up career-best numbers in nearly every statistic.

Another notable fact is that Flores has consistently been an average or better hitter throughout his career. 2024 marked the first time since 2015 that he had a sub-100 OPS+. From 2016 through 2023, he had eight straight seasons where he graded out as an above-average hitter, which is as many as Aaron Judge, Teoscar Hernández, and Xander Bogarts had in the 2010s.

Plus, Flores wasn’t healthy for most of the year. He only appeared in 71 games with 242 plate appearances. Flores dealt with knee issues during the summer, eventually leading to August surgery. It was just the second time since his first full campaign in 2015 that Flores played in fewer than 100 games (not including 2020).

Unsurprisingly, Flores picked up his player option, which was worth $3.5 million. He is only controlled through 2025, so he isn’t a long-term commitment. The Giants may look to cut down on payroll, and the Pirates might be able to acquire another player from the West Coast team at a discounted price if they’re willing to take on Flores’ remaining contract.