Royals outfielder Jorge Soler suffered a setback in his rehab from a foot injury, and the team will shut him down for an undisclosed period of time, manager Ned Yost told Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com and other reporters on Sunday. With only a few weeks left on the schedule, it’s possible Soler’s season is over, Flanagan notes.
Soler last played in the majors on June 15, when he incurred a left foot fracture, though the Royals’ hope was that he’d return in August. Instead, the 26-year-old’s big league campaign may conclude with 257 plate appearances and a terrific .265/.354/.466 batting line. Soler also chipped in nine home runs and a .202 ISO while cutting his strikeout rate to 26.8 percent (compared to 32.7 in 2017). Statcast data suggests Soler’s success this season hasn’t been a fluke, as there’s little difference between his expected weighted on-base average (.359) and his real wOBA (.355).
In terms of bottom-line results, this has been a rough year for the rebuilding Royals, who own the majors’ second-worst record (44-91). Soler’s production counts as a rare bright spot, especially after he endured a difficult first year with the organization in 2017. Soler – whom the Royals acquired from the Cubs for closer Wade Davis in December 2016 – spent the majority of last year in the minors, playing just 35 games in Kansas City. But Soler worked diligently over the winter to improve, as Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star detailed in February, and that effort did yield positive results prior to his injury.
With his season potentially over, Soler will have to make a key financial decision during the winter. While the Cuba native is still on the nine-year, $30MM deal he signed in 2012 with the Cubs, he’ll have a chance to opt into arbitration in the offseason. Soler’s currently slated to make $4MM in 2019, and thanks to his injury, he may be better served taking that guaranteed sum than testing arbitration.
In my opinion, Royals won this trade due to team-control. Give me four years’ of Jorge Soler over year of Wade Davis. It would have been a different story had the Cubs won WS with Wade Davis. (Similar to Chapman-trade)
KC has two years to trade him, if they please. Soler was just turning around the corner this year, gives hope.
Soler has been “turning around the corner” for the last 3 years and its about time to admit this guy sucks.
He’s never been close to returning value for the contract he got.
You’re a big believe in team control which basically means that you stuck with an average to mediocre ballplayer trying to use any excuse to support making a bad trade/deal and paying ridiculous money for the return you’re getting.
In my opinion!
I think he is an average replacement player. Plenty of value on a winning team with All-Star players, but not much value to a team who needs all players to contribute on a daily basis.
Yeh, the problem is he can’t contribute on any daily basis because he is always hurt or on the way to being hurt.
Wade Davis won that trade. Turned a great year with a playoff team into a nice contract.
Rockies lost the trade, yet weren’t even in it.
Davis is just going through a rough patch. He’s an elite pitcher he will pull it together
When will he put it together? Davis was on the downside starting the entire second half of last season
Sorry, but I can’t agree
I believe, Davis did what the Cubs expected, 32 saves in 33 SVO, 2.30 ERA, 3.38 FIP. Postseason: 4 SV in 4 SVO
Yeah, the Cubs didn’t win the WS, but it wasn’t for Davis
In the other hand, Soler doesn’t deserve the money he’s earning (+/- 8MM in these 2 years): triple-slash of ..228 / .322 / .403, negative WAR, …
The Royals can still win the trade, but as of now, to me, the Cubs win it
No one needs to win a trade, they helped each other out. Pointless to argue over stupid things like that.
Right it was a good trade for both teams, but the cubs not only got wade Davis in that trade, they also received a comp pick due to the qualifying offer which may end up being a better player than soler.
four years of Jorge Soler is more like 1 with the amount of time he spends on the DL
Cubs were trading from a surplus
He is hurt every year. Young enough to perhaps still be a solid player, but to date he has not lived up to expectations, and there was no room for him on the Cubs.
.820 OPS = terrific? Eh, I don’t know about that.
123 WRC+ and 124 OPS+ isn’t terrific to you? Most teams would love that production from any of their players. Keep in mind that Kaufman isn’t exactly a hitter’s paradise, so an .820 OPS there is a lot better than an .820 OPS at Globe Life or Fenway.
No, they aren’t. Why would they be? Certainly above average, but hardly terrific. For terrific, I’d think he was putting up a .950+ OPS or 150+ OPS+/wRC+. Also, only 223 at-bats. Soler is far from a proven commodity; showing to be injury prone so far though.
Soler, hurt? No way.
“a terrific .265/.354/.466 batting line.”
you don’t have to pretend that’s “terrific” just because its on the Royals. Mediocrity is mediocrity, whether its in first place or last.
Agreed. What is terrific about that batting line. Its decent IF a full year. I would really like to know from Conor why he thinks that is terrific as I do not think anyone can really believe that
Soler blows his nose and he can lose half a season. He is a china doll. Nothing more. Can never be counted on.