Phillies Add Minor League Shortstop in Rule 5 Draft
Depth at shortstop in the Phillies minor league system was stretched thin
While the Phillies did not draft any one in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft like they have with Tyler Goeddel, Shane Victorino, and Michael Martinez, they did make a move in the later rounds.
In the Double-A round of the Rule 5 Draft, the Phillies selected shortstop Jorge Flores out of the Blue Jays organization.
Unlike the first round of the Rule 5 Draft, the Phillies can designate Flores to a minor league team, and do not need to play him on the big league club. He is currently listed on the Iron Pigs roster, but could start as low as Single-A Clearwater.
With top prospect J.P. Crawford due to start in Lehigh Valley and arrive in Philadelphia later this year, and Malquin Canelo in Reading, the depth at shortstop was thin.
While Flores does have some experience at the Double-A level, expect him to report to Single-A Clearwater, who currently have just three infielders listed on their roster. Should Flores flourish in Clearwater, and Crawford moves to Philadelphia, Flores could replace Canelo in Reading.
Don’t expect to hear of Flores any time soon, if ever in Philadelphia. The 25-year-old native of Mexico hit .211 between Advanced-A and Double-A last season in Toronto’s system. He has shown the ability to be a pure hitter, finishing 2014 with a .298 average between Advanced-A and Double-A. His movement between those two levels has been repetitive due to a drop in production over the past two years.
Statistically there is not much else to love with Flores. He attempts to steal a lot of bases, but is caught nearly half of the time. He also committed 19 errors between shortstop and second base last year.
His 5’5 fame reminds you of Jose Altuve, as does his swing to the slightest degree. Flores does have 41 in 40 career games against Reading, including many multi-hit games.
Our FanSided family over at Jays Journal wrote a great scouting report on Flores a couple of years ago. Click here to give it a read.
Perhaps a change of scenery and a new voice (Charlie Manuel?) could turn Flores’ career back around towards the .300 hitter he proved to be.
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