While it seems the New York Yankees are going to stick with Greg Bird and Luke Voit at first-base for at least one more season, it can’t hurt to investigate an alternative, and a rather solid one at that.
Options for the New York Yankees at first-base:
Voit emerged as a great option after Bird’s struggled in 2018 — hitting .333 with 14 home runs and 33 RBIs. His hitting ultimately kept him in the lineup and on the field, as Bird is a better defender but a far less productive hitter. Finding a player that can do both is the trick, which is where Wilmer Flores comes into play.
Flores has been a Met since 2013, his inception into the MLB. He holds a career .262 batting average and averages about 12 home runs per year (last 4 years). The Yankees seem to be keen on finding batters that can rack up high home run totals, and while Flores isn’t that type of player, he can contribute in other ways. One significant positive — Flores struck out 42 times over 386 at-bats, earning a strikeout rate of 10.9%. Throughout his career, he has earned a 14% strikeout rate, which proves he can be a reliable hitter for the Yankees.
The free agent first-baseman recorded 103 hits last year over 386 at-bats. Defensively, Flores recorded three errors last season.
The bottom line, Flores could be a serviceable option at first-base, especially since he’s a consistent hitter and an efficient fielder. The Yankees might be able secure his signature for $4-6 million on a one-year deal.