Florimon played his way on to the 40-man roster in 2009, but couldn't build on his progress with the bat, hitting .183 in two months at Bowie before a strained left oblique knocked him out of action for a month. After a rehab stint at Aberdeen, Florimon got himself back on track at Frederick. A switch-hitter, he has learned to use the whole field and improved his two-strike approach late in the season. He has a little bit of pop, particularly from the right side. He has an aggressive approach, leading him to strike out too much for a player with his offensive profile. He makes better contact from the left side. He's a solid-average runner but not a huge basestealing threat. Tall and athletic, Florimon has flashy defensive skills, showing soft hands, good range and a strong arm. His arm can be erratic and he still has a tendency to botch routine plays, piling up 27 errors in 103 games at short last year. The question is whether Florimon can hit advanced pitching, and so far he hasn't. He remains on the 40-man roster, however, and will give Double-A another shot in 2011.
Florimon may have been the most improved player in the system last year, putting his tools into action much more consistently and winning a spot on the 40-man roster after the season. A career .222 hitter entering 2009, he earned a spot in the Carolina League-California League all-star game by batting .310 in the first two months of the season, and team officials said he showed better pitch recognition and plate discipline than ever before. He fell back into bad habits in June and July but recovered to hit .312 in August. Florimon started to string together good at-bats last year, hitting the ball where it was pitched and using his hands to stay on pitches better. He still needs to cut down on his strikeouts. He's a switch-hitter with some pop and has gotten stronger in the last couple of seasons. He's an above-average runner with good instincts on the bases. Florimon's calling card remains his strong defense. He has plus range and arm strength, and he shows soft hands and fluid actions at shortstop. He also reacts well to to the ball off the bat. He has agility, quickness and an accurate slingshot throwing motion. He has to get more consistent on both offense and defense, and a player with his tools shouldn't have led the Carolina League with 35 errors last year. The Orioles were excited by his progress and would love to see him play his way into the big league picture with a good year in Double-A in 2010.
Florimon made his U.S. debut in 2006 after two seasons when he batted around the Mendoza line in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. Baltimore likes his swing, but he has a raw approach and will need a lot of at-bats to become a serviceable offensive player. He switch-hits now but scouts aren't convinced he can hit righthanded, so he may just focus on the left side. He also hasn't proven he can handle quality breaking balls, and he needs to add strength to his tall, slender frame. Scouts do get excited with his defensive ability, featuring great actions, good range and a plus-plus arm. He needs to get more consistent, and that should come with time. Some scouts have questioned his work ethic, and one said he's the kind of player who looks slick at first before you see the holes in his game. But another compared him to Tony Fernandez because of his hands and quick wrists. It will be up to Florimon to prove who's right, beginning this season in low Class A.
Best Tools List
Rated Best Infield Arm in the International League in 2012
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