In Major League Baseball, it is hard to hit on every player that you commit to or try to develop. For the Detroit Tigers, that is the case for a former top 100 prospect in MLB, Wilmer Flores.
If the name sounds familiar, that's because it is familiar. Tigers' prospect, Wilmer Flores, is the brother of Giants' utilityman, Wilmer Flores. They are brothers.
Detroit Tigers release former top prospect
Earlier this week, the Detroit Tigers released pitcher Wilmer Flores, according to their MiLB transactions page.
Flores had missed the majority of the 2024 and 2025 seasons with a shoulder injury. He spent a lot of time on the 60-day IL, but was deemed healthy before being released by the Tigers organization.
In 31 innings last season with three different minor league teams, Flores posted a 7.84 ERA.
Flores can now be signed by any major league team, but it would likely be on a minor-league deal, and he would not be eligible for the postseason.
The Tigers signed Flores out of Arizona Western as an undrafted free agent.
Detroit believed in him enough after the 2023 season to put him on the 40-man roster and protect him. That year, he reached Double-A Erie and went 5-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 21 starts, with 90 strikeouts and 33 walks in 89 innings. That is how he gained his top 100 prospect status, but once the shoulder injuries piled up, his career took a harsh decline.
Maybe his brother's name can hold enough weight to get him a minor league deal with San Francisco, but with him nearing 25 years old and having many shoulder injuries, it's unlikely he gets a deal elsewhere.