World Series MVP Soler signs with Marlins
Christina De Nicola
@cdenicola13JUPITER, Fla. -- Jorge Soler, last fall's World Series MVP with the Braves, signed a three-year contract with the Marlins on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not announced, but it's worth $36 million, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, adding that Soler has opt-outs after both 2022 and '23.
To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Isan D¨ªaz was designated for assignment.
From the very beginning of the offseason, the Marlins have made adding middle-of-the-order bats a priority after finishing 29th in OPS and runs, as well as 28th in homers, in 2021. Prior to the lockout, Miami dealt for reliever Louis Head (Rays) and utility player Joey Wendle (Rays), signed Avisa¨ªl Garc¨ªa to a four-deal deal, and inked ace Sandy Alcantara and shortstop Miguel Rojas to extensions.
The Marlins expressed interest in outfielders Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, who both ultimately signed with the rival Phillies. Miami also inquired about Pirates All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds but found the asking price to be too high.
Between the acquisitions of Soler and Garc¨ªa, the Marlins picked up the second-best (3.6) and fifth-best (0.4) right fielders, in terms of 2021 WAR, on the free-agent market. That duo combined for 56 homers and 156 RBIs last season. They will earn a combined $24 million in 2022, compared to $20 million for Castellanos alone.
A native of Havana, Cuba, the 30-year-old Soler originally signed with the Cubs in 2012 and made waves as a top prospect whose 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame could unleash light-tower power. But between injuries and inconsistent performance, it wasn¡¯t until 2019 -- three seasons after a trade from the Cubs to the Royals -- that Soler put it all together.
The past few seasons have been a roller-coaster ride. In 2019, Soler played in all 162 games for the Royals, posted a .922 OPS and led the American League with 48 home runs. But he couldn¡¯t match that level of production during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, then started slowly in '21. By the time the Royals sent him to the Braves in a Trade Deadline deal, Soler was batting just .192 with a .658 OPS.
But he already had begun to turn his season around in Kansas City, and that continued in Atlanta. His production in 55 regular-season games there -- .269/.358/.524 with 14 homers and 33 RBIs -- looked similar to what he had done during his 2019 breakout. Then there was the postseason, when Soler captured World Series MVP honors for his role in the Braves¡¯ triumph over the Astros, having launched three key home runs and slugged .800 in 20 at-bats.
While that power is the key to Soler¡¯s game, he also is prone to the swing and miss. But when Soler makes contact, he often crushes the ball, as evidenced by his 82nd-percentile barrel rate. His 43 homers of at least 420 feet since 2019 are the most in the Majors.
However, defense is not a strength for Soler, who has started more than 200 career games as a designated hitter. As a corner outfielder (353 games in right field, 60 games in left), he has accrued minus-17 Outs Above Average since 2016, including minus-6 last season. In 2021, Soler ranked in the second percentile in outfielder jump, per Statcast, and minus-11 recorded Defensive Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs.
As things stand, Miami is still without a natural center fielder on the 40-man roster after designating for assignment Monte Harrison. For now, the plan is for several players to see time in center: Jes¨²s S¨¢nchez, Bryan De La Cruz, utility player Jon Berti and Garc¨ªa. Roman Quinn and Delino DeShields Jr. are in camp as non-roster invites, as are prospects JJ Bleday and Peyton Burdick. That pair is slated to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville. Garrett Cooper and Jes¨²s Aguilar are set to split time at first base and DH. Soler, who will see action in left field, also can be used as the DH.
"Ideally, we want a center fielder who is an offensive threat," general manager Kim Ng said on Friday. "That would be our primary objective. If that's not attainable, and you're not going to mortgage the future for one, then I think you have to go to Plan B. And Plan B, there are some good offensive players out there on the market. Like I said the other day when we acquired Avi Garc¨ªa, he has played some center field. Bryan De La Cruz has played some center field. We're going to mix and match and look at what our options are."