Report: San Francisco Giants sign infielder Wilmer Flores to multi-year deal

The San Francisco Giants signed infielder Wilmer Flores to a multi-year deal, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday afternoon. The terms of the contract were not immediately known.

Flores, 28, spent 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, hitting .317/.361/.487 in 285 plate appearances and spending the majority of his time at second base. Prior to his year in Arizona, Flores spent the first decade of his career in the New York Mets organization, reaching the major leagues in 2013. In 2015, Flores attracted national attention after he was seen crying on the field after he'd been reportedly traded to the Brewers. (The trade was later nixed, and Flores remained a Met until 2018.)

In his career, Flores has shown the ability to handle every infield position, meaning he could be in line for a utility-type role with the Giants, bouncing around from position to position based on the team's needs. As Bay Area News Group's Kerry Crowley points out, Flores could offer the Giants a chance to sit either Brandon Belt or Brandon Crawford against left-handed pitchers due to his aptitude at both first and shortstop.

Flores' most likely landing spot, however, is second base. That means Mauricio Dubon, who finished out the 2019 season as the Giants' starter at second, may be in line for some time in the outfield. Last week, NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic tweeted that Dubon "could be the Giants starting center fielder at some point this season."

The Giants' commitment to multiple years of Flores means Yolmer Sanchez, who signed a minor-league deal with the club last week, will likely be competing for a bench role.

Michael Rosen is an SFGATE digital editor. Email: michael.rosen@sfgate.com.