Jesus Flores

Flores only had 91 plate appearances for the Nationals in 2011, but with Ivan Rodriguez a free agent, he is projected to be the Nationals' backup catcher for the upcoming season behind Wilson Ramos. A 2009 shoulder injury derailed his 2010 season, and he looked as if he was still recovering in 2011. He is a decent defensive catcher, and he has shown power when healthy (career .141 ISO). However, with Ramos in front of him, don’t look for Flores to get more than 175 plate appearances in 2012.

2009's shoulder injury cost Flores all of 2010, and led the Nationals to trade for Wilson Ramos as their new catcher of the immediate future. Flores appears to be finally healthy, but with 18 months of rust to shake off and Ivan Rodriguez still under contract to share the load with Ramos, Flores could be hard-pressed to see much big league action this season. If he proves he's all the way back though, his upside could make him an interesting trade chip for Nats generaly manager Mike Rizzo.

Flores roared out of the gate in 2009 before a foul tip glanced off his shoulder and caused a stress fracture. He tried to come back in September only to be diagnosed with a torn labrum as well, and while the Nationals are optimistic he'll make a full recovery there's no guarantee his shoulder will be able to hold up to the rigors of a full season. If he's healthy and find his stroke at the plate again he'll be one of the more valuable catchers in the NL, but take a very long look at him in the spring before you decide to invest. The addition of Ivan Rodriguez suggests that the Nats don't want to rush him back too quickly.

Flores' outstanding May (.340/.417/.528 in 53 at-bats) removed any doubts the Nationals had about his ability to be their No. 1 catcher, but the rest of his season was decidedly mediocre at the plate. Flores seems likely to develop into what used to be a typical default offensive catcher in fantasy terms (.250 batting average, double-digit power), but he's only 24 and with limited experience, so he does have a small chance to blossom into something more.

Nabbed from the Mets system in the Rule 5 draft, Flores held his own in his first stint in the majors and convinced the Nationals that he could be their catcher of the future. His defense is solid and he's got nice power potential, but he'll get some more time to develop with Paul Lo Duca replacing Brian Schneider as the Nationals' starting backstop. Flores is more likely to be the starter for at Triple-A than he is to back up Lo Duca in Washington, so he should only be considered an option in keeper leagues.

Flores was considered the Mets' best catching prospect prior to him being chosen by Washington in the Rule 5 draft. He hit .266 with 21 HR in 429 at-bats for High-A St. Lucie in 2006 but showed that he needs to make major strides in his strike zone judgment, evidenced by his 127:28 K:BB ratio. Flores will need to stick with the Nationals all year or be offered back to the New York, and if he does stay in the majors, that could severely retard his development.