A Soler Eclipse Coming to the Bay

The San Francisco Giants signed veteran outfielder Jorge Soler to a three-year deal for a reported $42MM. Soler, 32, is a right fielder and designated hitter who will add some pop to the middle of the Giants lineup. Soler hit .250 last year with 36 homers for the Marlins.

Soler played for the Cuban National Team in the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship, where he hit .304 in helping lead Cuba to a bronze medal. He defected from Cuba in 2011 to pursue a career as a Major League baseball player.

On June 11th, 2012, Soler signed a 9-year contract with the Chicago Cubs for $30MM dollars. He worked his way up the ladder in the Cubs organization and got his first call to the show in August of 2014. He played two seasons in Chicago, hitting .258 with 27 home runs in 211 games. In December of 2016 , Soler was traded to Kansas City for relief pitcher Wade Davis.

After a couple of rough seasons in Kansas City, he put everything together in 2019 playing in all 162 games and hitting a career high 48 home runs and knocking in 117 runs, while hitting .265. He struggled to get going in the 2020 pandemic season and after starting 2021, hitting only .192, he was traded in July to the Atlanta Braves. He found his game again in time to help Atlanta win the World Series by hitting 3 home runs, including becoming the first player to hit a home run in his first World Series plate appearance. After hitting .300 with 3 homeruns and 6 runs batted in, Soler was named the MVP of the World Series, only the second Cuban player ever to win the award (Livan Hernandez-1997).

Following his World Series MVP, Soler signed a three-year contract with the Miami Marlins. Last season, he was selected to his first all-star game and his 36 homers were the 2nd most of his career. After the season, he elected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

The 2023 Giants ranked 19th in home runs and 24th in runs scored and will look for Soler to add a power bat in the middle of the lineup. He can play some right field but will be used as a designated hitter a majority of the time. He is a very streaky hitter who strikes out a lot more than a team may want to see. At 6’4'' and 235 lbs., he generates a lot of power from the right side of the plate and will be a nice addition in the middle of the lineup for San Francisco. He has a good arm and is athletic enough to play a corner outfield spot if needed. The Giants have some depth in their lineup and Soler slots in nice to the DH role.

Here is San Francisco's projected starting lineup: