The Mets parted ways with a fan favorite, Wilmer Flores, on Friday, at the deadline for teams to offer contracts to their players who are eligible for arbitration. A capable hitter, Flores did not have a true home in the field, and his skills appear more suited to an American League team.
Flores, 27, was beloved by Mets fans because of his flair for the dramatic (his four career walk-off home runs are a team record), his declared fondness for the Mets and his offbeat personality. His walk-up music before at-bats was the theme song from the TV show “Friends,” which he said helped him learn English.
His devotion to the Mets — who signed him out of his native Venezuela when he was 16 — was most evident on July 29, 2015, when Flores cried on the field after hearing that he was going to be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. The trade fell apart soon thereafter.
As the Mets traded away some of his teammates in recent seasons, Flores made clear his desire to stay with the Mets. But the decision was out of his hands on Friday after he did not receive a contract offer from the Mets, making him a free agent.
Flores hit .262 with 68 career home runs and a .727 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage in 581 games with the Mets over six years. He came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop but then moved around the diamond.
In a mildly surprising move, the Mets offered catcher Travis d’Arnaud, 29, a contract. Like Flores, d’Arnaud is heading into his final season before free agency. He missed most of the 2018 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he is expected to be ready for spring training.
Source: Read Full Article