JUPITER, Fla. – Jorge Soler, last fall’s World Series MVP with the Braves, has agreed to a three-year contract with the Marlins, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The deal is worth $36 million, Feinsand said, adding that Soler has the option to opt-out both after 2022 and after 23. Miami did not confirm the deal.
Since the start of the off-season, the Marlins have made it a priority to add medium bats after finishing 29th in OPS and runs and 28th in homers in 2021. Louis Head (Reis) and versatile player Joey Wendle (Reis) signed Avisail Garcia to a four-deal deal, as well as signing ace Sandy Alcantara and shortstop Miguel Rojas. The Marlins reportedly showed interest in outfielders Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, who ended up signing rival Phillies. Miami also inquired about Pirates All-Star center fielder Brian Reynolds, likely considering the asking price too high.
After acquiring Solera and Garcia, the Marlins are second (3.6) and fifth (0.4) right fielders in terms of 2021 WAR in the free agent market. The duo hit 56 homers and 156 RBIs last season.
A native of Havana, Cuba, 30-year-old Soler originally signed with the Cubs in 2012 and made a splash as a top prospect whose 6-foot-4, 235-pound body could unleash the power of a light tower. But due to injuries and inconsistent play, Soler didn’t put it all together until 2019, three seasons after moving from the Cubs to the Royals.
The last few seasons have been a rollercoaster ride. In 2019, Soler played in all 162 games for the Royals, hit .922 per second and led the American League with 48 home runs. But it failed to reach the same level of production during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and then slowly started at 21. By the time the Royals sent him to the Braves for a Trade Deadline deal, Soler was winning just .192 with .658 OPS.
But he had already begun to change his season in Kansas City, and it continued in Atlanta. His .269/.358/.524 batting average with 14 homers and 33 RBIs in 55 regular season games was similar to what he did during his 2019 breakthrough. Then there was the postseason, when Soler earned the World Series MVP award for his role in the Braves’ triumph over the Astros, hitting three key home runs and hitting .800 in 20 at-bats.
While this strength is key to Soler’s game, he is also prone to hitting and missing. But when Soler makes contact, he often squashes the ball, as evidenced by his 82 percent rate of fire. His 43 homers at least 420 feet since 2019 is the most in a major.
However, defense is not Soler’s forte, having started over 200 career games as a designated hitter. As a corner outfielder (353 right field, 60 left field), he’s scored minus 17 strikeouts above average since 2016, including minus 6 last season. In 2021, Soler ranked second in outfielder jumps, according to Statcast, and minus 11 saved runs on defense, according to FanGraphs.
Currently, Miami is still without a natural center fielder on the 40-man roster following the appointment of Monte Harrison. At the moment, it is planned that several players will receive time at the center: Jesus Sanchez, Brian De La Cruz, utility player John Berti and Garcia. Roman Quinn and Delino DeShields Jr. are in camp at a non-roster invitation. Prior to signing Soler, Garrett Cooper and Jesús Aguilar were scheduled to split time at first base and DH, although Soler was more suited to the latter role due to his defensive responsibility.
“Ideally, we want a center fielder who is a threat to attack,” general manager Kim Ng said Friday. “That would be our main goal. If that’s not achievable and you’re not going to mortgage the future for one, then I think you need to move on to plan B. And plan B, there are some good attackers in the market. As I said the other day, when we acquired Avi Garcia, he played in midfield. Brian De La Cruz played in center field. We’re going to mix and match and see what options we have.”
With a full 40-man roster, the Marlins will need to make the appropriate move to make room for Soler.