Marlins outfielder Jorge Soler has been on the injured list since July due to low back spasms. Though he’s tried ramping up baseball activities since then, he isn’t likely to make it back to the team this year. Manager Don Mattingly tells MLB.com that Soler’s return is “probably out the window.” Soler himself tells Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extra Base “I don’t think I’ll be back this season.”
It will go down as a disappointing campaign for the slugger, who rode into the offseason riding high, having just helped Atlanta win a championship and earned World Series MVP in the process. The Marlins, stacked with pitching but light on hitting, grabbed Soler and Avisaíl García in free agency, hoping to add some thump to their lineup. Unfortunately, both have dealt with injuries and underperformance this season. Soler only got into 72 games before this back issue cropped up and was a below-average hitter before then. If he is indeed done for the season, he will finish with a batting line of .207/.295/.400. That production is 3% lower than that of the league average hitter, according to wRC+.
The three-year, $36MM deal that Soler and the Marlins signed in the winter allows him to opt-out after each season. Soler tells Álvarez-Montes that he hasn’t thought about his decision and has yet to speak to his agent about it. However, it’s hard to imagine Soler deciding to leave money on the table and return to the open market, especially with this lingering injury situation. He’s earning $12MM this year and is set to earn $15MM in 2023 and another $9MM in 2024, with that 2024 salary able to increase based on plate appearance bonuses.
If Soler is back with the Fish next year, they will surely be hoping for better results from both he and García. As a team, the Marlins have hit .229/.294/.363, producing an 86 wRC+, ranking them 27th in the league. That’s largely why they’ve had another season of poor results, going 57-82 so far. Solar and García are the only players on the team making eight-figure salaries and that is set to be the case again next year. Bounceback seasons from those two will be integral to better performance in 2023, though the club is reportedly going to try to use its pitching depth to improve the offense this winter.
So no opt-out? MIA was most likely banking on him walking after a season.
Think Miami was seeing if his swing was fixed by Atlanta and could hit 30 plus home runs would have been a big bat
Of course they were. They were probably hoping that he’d play great and they could trade him, or failing that, he’d play well enough to opt out. Marlins don’t retain players for long and it is by design.
Couple of great signings by Ng in Garcia and Soler
easy to say in retrospect. they looked like solid pickups at the time
Always a mistake signing such players with up and down performances to three year contracts immediately after their career years..
Hoepfully she has learned a lesson.
easy to say in retrospect. they looked like solid pickups at the time
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Below is my response from the “Offseason in Review”
“Except for 2019, with the rabbit ball, Soler has shown nothing. He has a career 3.5 bWAR, and in 2019, he had a 3.5 bWAR. -0- for the rest of career. Garcia is a little better, but still, he averaged 0.9 bWAR/year (1.6 bWAR/650 PAs) for his entire career, up until his walk year.
I don’t see the rationale for hoping that these players start to excel after mostly mediocre careers.”
There is nothing surprising here. Soler only had one season where he exceeded 0.9, and had a -0.3 bWAR in 2021. His 0.4 was actually more than what should’ve been expected. Garcia had slightly higher expectation, but his career bWAR prior to his walk year was 0.9/season.
Another way to look at is via rotisserie leagues. Obviously, roto drafts rely purely on offense. And Soler & Garcia were drafted #167 & #176. So no one was expecting much hitting out of them Had defense counted, like it does in real BB, these two guys would’ve been draft like #300 or so.
No one but Ng thought they were anything more than adequate hitters, and they bring no other attributes to the game.
Good post. But I’d conclude that Ng was forced by cheap-as-hell ownership to roll the dice on low-ceiling wing-and-a-prayer guys like this, instead of providing the money needed to go for higher-priced, but lower-risk talent. That’s the hand that baseball ops was dealt – and it sucks.
These were two bad signings.That is on her.This isn’t chump change allowed by ownership but clearly could have been spent better.These are the type of signings that do and should get GM’s fired if they continue to make them.
And you don’t think Jeter had a say so?
García signed in Dec,Jeter left Feb 28,Soler signed March 22.
Would Ng have agreed to be a patsy for someone else?
Jeter supposedly wanted Castellanos and ask the Phillies how well that funny money was spent.
He may have had influence with the García signing but I doubt with Soler.
My guess is that half of the veteran commenters on MLTR would not have signed either of these two players for the money that they each got.
They never looked like solid pickups. A couple of #4 outfielders. This team was doomed from the start
Garcia is over 30 and has mediocre offensive seasons every other year. In no world is that worth 52 million. Soler has a massive hole in his bat. Hitting a couple of homers in the World Series doesn’t change that. His contract was structed so poorly that the he has all the power with player options. 12 million per year for a glorified Chris Carter. Couple of terrible signings when the Marlins desperately needed to sign real impact bats.
Got to be the worst WAR outfield in the bigs this year. Yeah Gracia and Soler have been there very definition this season of massive busts as free agent signings.
100% honest. I had forgotten what team he was playing for this year. But I am not a fan of an NL East team, so I rarely see the Marlins play.
Better luck next year with balanced schedule though more exposure for players to be seen by all the fans
At my age, that is more likely to cause me to be less familiar with division foes instead of more familiar with every other team. My Rockies played the Marlins 7 times this year and I still didn’t remember Soler was there. It’ll only get more muddled when I start seeing formerly anonymous Royals, Athletics, and Rays every year.
This is would be a perfect trade for the Marlins even though inter division. The Braves desperately want to trade Marcell Ozuna away they could trade Soler for Ozuna and make Atlanta add prospect and money.
Marlins would have a bat plays well in Miami plus at least one prospect and probably get Atlanta to play Ozuna contract down where he would be lower salary that Soler.
Soler did great in Atlanta so Atlanta would
Over pay and gamble with him
Word is the Braves tried to trade Ozuna to the Marlins this past deadline but couldn’t make it work.
Does any team want Ozuna? He’s been horrible recently, still has two more years at $18 million apiece left, has a domestic violence incident under his belt, and just got that embarrassing DUI last month. Marlins would be better off with Soler.
Sure if your giving me prospects Aswell
Asswell – Ozuna’s code name..?
Act- I would say “ less bad off” with Soler.
Icky thump
I’m guessing Soler exercises his 15 million player option for 2023.
He needs to talk to his agent first.
This Pujols thing isn’t what it appears to be. The fix is in with bonuses being offered to pitchers that throw meatballs down the middle and apparently they’re waiting till the season is over before drug testing him.
It’s not a coincidence Molina has made several round trips and came back with an extra carry on each time. Just saying
@sliderwithcheese. Interesting take. Have any proof to back this up? Or are you just seeking attention?
You keep believing. That’s what they want. You’re the audience they target.
Lol. You don’t know who I am. And again I’m willing to listen to your take. But show me proof….. if not go to a medical professional and seek out help.
@slider
So that would be “No, I don’t have any proof.” Well, I have no proof either, but I suspect you like to drag others down because of your own shortcomings.
Meatballs? Try watching the game you uninformed, conspiracy theorist troll. The majority of his HRs have been on good pitches.
And please provide a single iota of proof regarding the drug testing. I’ll wait…
It will all be included in my book that drops right before the holidays. Makes a lovely gift for the fan in your life
Good for you. I can help with the title to your autobiography.
“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meth Addiction and Trolling”
What does this have to do with Soler?
Soler played for the Royals. Pujols went to some nobody community college in Kansas City. Duh
Every laughable conspiracy theory needs it’s nebulous connection. Congratulations on finding yours.
Look at Soler’s numbers. Pathetic, but even more pathetic is that its only 3% below average. Sure you can blame Ng, but every GM looks bad on their offensive signings because MLB keeps messing with the baseball. Every one of the Five top FA SS signed for what looks to be an overpay. What are the odds that all five would be unable to replicate their average season? These are young, in their prime, top players in the game, and all became bad signings because of MLB messing with the ball. Look at Soler’s numbers again. Barely 50% of MLB players performed at a higher level. Can’t blame that on any GM.
Among offensive players, with 300+ PAs, Soler ranked #186. And there are another 186 pitchers with a fWAR of 0.5 or better. with a minimum of 40 IPs.
It’s going to be tough to find the silver lining here. Even worse was the fact that he was a negative WAR player in 2021. It’s one thing to talk yourself into signing a player like Garcia. He’s very mediocre, but at least he had a decent 2021. Soler was awful thru 8/18/21. He was signed for a few good weeks.
I didn’t hate the Soler deal for Miami, but I knew the moment they signed Avisail that it was a huge mistake. It’s probably good they didn’t spend a lot to get Castellanos, but Soler and Garcia were not the answers to the Marlins offensive woes.
Zero chance that Soler opts out because he will not get close to $12 mil in free agency