For the second day in a row, the baseball world has been rocked by tragedy.
The Red Sox announced Wednesday that catching prospect Daniel Flores has died of complications from cancer. He was 17 years old.
Flores’ illness had not been reported at all until Wednesday morning, when WEEI reported Wednesday morning that he was dealing with a serious medical condition.
Flores signed with the Boston Red Sox on July 2, garnering a life-changing $3.1 million signing bonus. He was considered the No. 1 prospect out of Venezuela and the top international catching prospect since Gary Sanchez. MLB.com quickly ranked him the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, calling him “one of the best defensive catchers amateur scouts have seen in years.”
Flores’ death came a day after former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico.
Whereas Halladay’s passing provoked a series of remembrances of his incredible career, Flores’ death leaves us wondering what could have been. RIP, Daniel Flores.