- Red Sox signed Flores for $3.1 million and envisioned him as their future catcher
- The team did not disclose the form of cancer that afflicted the 17-year old
- Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski: ‘Everyone at the Red Sox was shocked to hear of Daniel’s tragic passing. To see the life of a young man with so much promise cut short is extremely saddening for all of us’
- A switch-hitting catcher with a strong arm, Flores was seen as a top prospect
Boston Red Sox catching prospect Daniel Flores died on Wednesday due to complications from cancer treatment, the team announced.
The Red Sox signed the 17-year-old out of Venezuela last July, giving him a $3.1 million deal as they envisioned him as their future catcher.
Flores had been undergoing cancer treatment in recent weeks, though the team did not disclose it.
‘Everyone at the Red Sox was shocked to hear of Daniel’s tragic passing,’ Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement.
‘To see the life of a young man with so much promise cut short is extremely saddening for all of us. On behalf of the Red Sox organization, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Daniel’s family.’
It had not previously been reported that Flores – a 6-foot-1 switch-hitter who was noted for his strong arm – had been suffering from cancer. The Red Sox have not disclosed the form of cancer that afflicted Flores.
Boston’s assistant general manager Eddie Romero, who lead the effort to sign Flores, released his own statement: ‘Every member of our organization who got to know Daniel absolutely loved him. He was energetic, hard-working and genuinely selfless, always with a smile on his face. He cared for his teammates and was a natural leader. I’m at a loss for words today. Daniel was an impressive young man with limitless potential, and his life was cut far too short.
‘My condolences go out to Daniel’s mother and sister. Though with us for a short time, Daniel will always be a part of the Red Sox family.’
Flores idolized Salvador Perez, the Kansas City Royals catcher and another native Venezuelan, and was generally regarded as one of the top international prospects in the Red Sox system if not all of baseball.
A former coach of Flores, Manny Padro told Hardball Scoop in July that the young man was very mature for his age.
‘He is a catcher with a great projection, he has a great ability with his glove,’ Padron said. ‘In the offense, he shows a lot of power in the right side and a lot of ability in the left side. He will improve, he always does, in every aspect of the game. But we are happy of his behavior in and off the field.’
The Red Sox have declined to comment further out of respect for Flores’s family.
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