Marlins All-Star designated hitter Jorge Soler declined his player option for 2024 and became a free agent on Thursday.

Soler, 31, bounced back after an injury-riddled 2022 to knock 36 homers and collect 75 RBIs -- both marks second-most in his 10-year MLB career -- in 137 games. He also was named to the Midsummer Classic for the first time.

"I will say this is a young team, hungry to win and with great energy, great environment,¡± Soler said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. following the club's sweep in the National League Wild Card Series. ¡°There's a few things we still need to ... fix and improve for next season, but yeah, those are the things I'll consider.

¡°We've been thinking about playoffs, and we achieved that. But at this point, we have to start thinking a little bigger, right? We¡¯ve got to think about the World Series, and that has to be part of the goals.¡±

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Soler initially signed a free-agent contract with Miami on March 22, 2022, months after being named the ¡®21 World Series MVP with Atlanta. He made $12 million during his first season, which was limited to 72 games due to pelvic and back issues. Considering his ¡¯23 output, Soler came at a bargain at $15 million. His ¡¯24 player option was for $9 million, with an increase by up to $4 million based on plate appearances in ¡¯23, a figure he could easily top on the free-agent market.

Though Soler could sign a new contract with Miami, it¡¯s more likely the organization will have to find ways to replace his pop, as he accounted for 22 percent of the Marlins¡¯ home run total in 2023. The club scored the fifth-fewest runs and was tied for the eighth-fewest homers in MLB.

Miami must now wait on Josh Bell's decision regarding his $16.5 million player option for 2024. Bell, whom the Marlins acquired ahead of the Trade Deadline, went deep 11 times in 53 games, posting an .818 OPS.