Jorge Soler has informed the Marlins he is declining his $13MM player option for next season, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid (Twitter link). He is a free agent and will be able to begin negotiating with other teams on Monday.
It’s an entirely unsurprising decision. Soler, 32 in February, is coming off his best season in a few years. He connected on 36 home runs with a .250/.341/.512 batting line. The right-handed hitter walked at a strong 11.4% clip while cutting his strikeout rate to a manageable 24.3%.
That marked a strong rebound showing after a tough first year in South Florida. Originally signed to a three-year, $36MM guarantee during the 2021-22 offseason, Soler slumped to a .207/.295/.400 slash over 72 games a season ago. He had an opt-out possibility last winter but understandably forewent a trip to the open market. With a much better platform performance, he’ll get to the market this time around.
While Soler’s opt-out call was made without much suspense, it puts the onus on Miami to answer a more interesting question. The Fish have until Monday to determine whether to tender a $20.325MM qualifying offer. If they do, Soler would have just over a week to gauge the market before deciding if he wants to accept.
In the event Miami opts against the QO or Soler declines one, he’ll be one of the top offensive players in a rough free agent class. Soler doesn’t offer much defensive value. He’s a well below-average corner outfielder who spent the majority of his time at designated hitter this past season. Miami plugged him into right field for just 241 2/3 innings. Few impending free agents can match his power upside, although Soler’s pre-2023 production has been inconsistent.
Miami’s QO decision is clouded by an uncertain front office picture. General manager Kim Ng recently departed the organization and the club has yet to name her replacement. Brian Chattin is leading the front office on an interim basis. Miami also awaits an opt-out decision from first baseman Josh Bell, while they’re sure to decline team provisions on Johnny Cueto and Matt Barnes.
Interesting he turned down 13 million? 1.8 WAR player who hit 36 bombs? Inconsistent career? 13 million seems fair? Who signs him for more, he’s largely a DH? Would be cool to see him play in october again
May not get more then 13m a year but prob does on a multi year deal.
2.5x better WAR than Schwarber…yeah, he should be able to get a multi-year deal for a DH in need, especially now Nelson Cruz (DH for hire) is off the market for good. If nothing else, you’ll have a team paying a little more in hopes if they can get to the postseason, Soler resurrect that ’21 performance.
Agree this guy is a threat. Will be a good pickup at any price
I think he gets offered and takes the QO. Bet on himself to hit another 30+ bombs then see what he can get after that. 20 mil for a season will be too much to pass on. Fish better have their books in order bc they need to keep bell too !
Whiffa
I agree. He probably can choose between the QO one year at 20.6 million or three more years at 39 million. At 32, I think he takes the QO
I hope we don’t give him the QO.
Why not? It is hard to get a big bat to the fish on a one year deal.
Bell’s not opting out – trust me on this.
Interesting.
Cmon back to the Braves baby!
Only if we find a taker for Ozuna
from the braves?
r.d. I see what you did there!
You did see Ozuna play this year, right? What a stupid comment.
If you guys still want to do that Ozuna for Avi trade, I’m all for it.
No team with class would trade for Ozuna at this point. No team with aspirations would trade for Avisail at this point.
Soler is the fire in Oct/Nov. Braves needed that this year.
Cuban countrymen coming up big in the postseason: Adolis, Jorge, Arozarena…
@Roy DeMeo We can’t have both Ozuna and Soler. Someone else suggested platooning Soler and Rosario, but realistically, salary wise we would be better off spending that money on pitching. I would be okay with keeping Ozuna, but would rather have Soler.
now you you on board. i remember you saying miami not a good place for him.. something long them lines .
I’m still on board from day one. thank it a fail trade. by marlins.
but glad we agree on it now. lol
now you on board. i remember you saying Miami not a good place for him.. something long them lines .
I’m still on board from day one. thank it a fail trade. by marlins.
but glad we agree on it now. lol
You can say that again
Really don’t need to get rid of Ozuna at DH to bring in Soler. Soler could be platooned with Rosario in LF as the weak side platoon and as a potent bench bat. Should Ozuna get hurt, boom there’s an in house replacement at DH. Of course depends on how much Soler wants to play and for what money.
Good luck with that.
White Sox will sign him to a 3 year $45 million contract and it’ll be a bust. I’m a geneyus fortune teller just sayin.
With OPS+ of 106, 99 and 95 in 2020-22 it’s not a sure thing he’ll top 13mil but he will have a better chance than Jurickson Profar did last offseason.
Without a qualifying offer though, he’s likely to get a multi year offer. Maybe only 2-3 years with an option, but he’ll likely get multi year offers. Unless he gets a qualifying offer, and then there’s chance he just accepts. But especially with a small offensive market, where he’ll actually be one of the “better” options for offensive, even though he doesn’t offer anything but, someone will likely throw 10-15 million a year at him for 2-3 years.
two at best 17 mill 4 mill sign in bonus . on a good team . . white sox a team like that may give him over 26 mill deal .
right now he betting on himself and against the market . if he think he get a 1 year 15 mill no sign in bonus . that one year. be best offer.
Talk here In Chicago Is the White Sox are going to cut payroll. With Jerry R looking to sell. Best way to show a prospective owner.
Is a balance sheet with little long term deals on It.
Talk here In Your Utility Room?
Only a moron would rely on stats like “OPS+” and “WAR”. Vogelbach had a similar OPS+ to Soler and he was unplayable. I look at Soler and I see a winner. He is easily a top 50 hitter in this league. I don’t need no “OPS+”, I have my eyes. When this guy gets hot there is no stopping him. Now is he worth 100 million dollars? Absolutly not. Hes worth around 4 years at a total value of 60 million. The Marlins don’t even sniff the playoffs without him
“Marlins don’t even sniff the playoffs without him.”
They literally had a positive W/L record without him in the lineup.
So, then, you can make a compelling argument that his offensive production caused them to lose games?
Or is it possible there’s a little conflation of correlation and causation?
1-When a team ties for the last playoff spot, there are probably 10+ guys that can claim the team wouldn’t have made the playoffs without them.
2-He made $15M for his 1.8 bWAR. If you spent $15M on a different player, they’d have likely produced the same 1.8 bWAR of better.
Wow Smoke, I’m the 25 games he didn’t play? Amazing.
[the thread vomits in unison]
@LFGMets what do you think of wRC+ , xOBA, and xwOBA …
Ask Bruce Bochy about ‘analytics’….
Ask Bruce Bochy about ‘analytics’….
========================
“You’re crazy not to listen and get all the information you can. I don’t want somebody to have the edge on me,” Bochy said.
The “old school” meme is one of the craziest things in baseball. Everybody in the world uses every statistic they can reasonably use. Only crazy people make decisions completely randomly.
Exactly right, he doesn’t make decisions randomly or dictated by analytics.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b I think its pretty obvious what I think of advanced stats, they’re garbage
I hate FIP
@LFG that reminds me, I just came across a new analytic I have never heard used before for pitchers: ‘pitching run value’ & ‘breaking run value’ for example the article stated: “Snell ranked in the 100th percentile in pitching run value and breaking run value.” Never heard these terms used before. Any idea what this could mean?
@LFGMets Metsin7) #InEpplerIsGone!!!!
While I can agree with you about all the stats stuff, I can’t agree about the part of the Marlins not sniffing the playoffs without him. He’s all-or-nothing. We very likely don’t make the playoffs without him considering how close the race was, but we would’ve contended without him.
He a nice power hitter, but we do have other ways to play. And I say this while I like the guy on our team.
I’ve got the new stat for y’all, i call it optimal contact%.
Basis revolves around optimal contact being 12-28 degrees LA, hard, and pulled.
Soler was 19th in rate min 150 batted ball events. He rakes
@-Purist
I wouldn’t say that Soler rakes. My definition of a guy that rakes is much higher than what Soler does. He’s and all-or-nothing guy. Even if Soler is raking in his yard, he’s going to miss a bunch of leaves he he rakes like he hits. Too many catchers catching pitches to him for him to be associated with the phrase “he rakes”.
Soler did not have a similar OPS+ as Vogelbach lol. Not even close. Just say the stats are over your head and move on.
@Guest500 look at their OPS+ from the last 2 years, they are very similar if you take the average
@LGGMets Only a moron would look at a single stat and declare a player’s worth based on that single stat. The thing about advance stats that most people don’t understand, is that they aren’t meant to define players, but rather a tool to understand why players perform like they do and to help them improve.
Marlins don’t even sniff the playoffs without him I disagree ..
without marlins pitching in June top era would not
75 rbi is not a lot when on inure list a lot.
Oh my gosh! @rochofloveusa actually agree with something!
would love to see Jorge Soler in a Phillies uniform
I would too – now tell me about whether or not the Phillies value defense? I guess he’d fit right in.
Soler, Schwarber or Castellenos. Nah, we good. Let’s go get Hosmer and Mancini. What could go wrong?
I hope Marlins offer him 17, 15, 13 with his opt out in 13 year.
Yeah, 2013 should be a good year. Wonder if Pearl Jam is going to cut another record and if we can expect another 4 years of an Obama White House.
I’m feeling like I have a good vibe for sports betting in 2013. I’m going to put all money on the Red Sox winning the World Series, the Heat winning the NBA Finals, the Ravens winning the Superbowl, and the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup. Heck, let me get crazy. I don’t know if there’s a WNBA team in Minnesota, but I feel that a championship will be won there.
Haha- that’s crazy talk. The Last place Red Sox and what army? All they do is sit around and eat beer and chicken. Adrian Gonzalez is A-Gone, and with it any chance. Jacoby Ellsbury- one year flash in the pan, he’ll never sign another contract. What next- Is the surly David Ortiz suddenly going to pop up on TV w jokes? At this point – might as well pick the Orioles to be good some day or heck- the Rangers or heh(!) hapless Cubbies win it all someday. Good luck with your picks but I wouldn’t quit your day job at America Online. Gotta run- if I get these movies in the mailbox by 6, I can get another 3 movies next week. Great new mail order service-Webflicks?
Diamondbacks! Full time DH Be that one missing strictly BOOM stick they needed in the playoffs.
Ketel and Tommy stepped up. Whereas Christian and Alek stepped in it
Dodgers. Platoon him at DH with Max, spend the Ohtani money on a new 3B and starting pitching.
Let Soler’ play left field. Right handed bat with pop they need to complement lefties Outman and Heyward especially if Betts plays more 2nd base than right field again next year.
Cmon blue jays do it we need a guy like in our lineup
Every year the Blue need “someone like that” on their team, but it seems to not make a difference every year when they get them.
Giants wouldn’t dare sign a power hitting outfielder. We have 9 mediocre contact hitters.
Inconsistent is his trademark. Also he’s 32? Maybe 36. He better jump on the QO if it’s there.
I’m indifferent on whether the Marlins re-sign him or not.
For the love of God almighty please let him walk. This team already has three surefire DHs on the team with Burger and Bell and a few guys playing out of position. Their entire outfield also had a negative defensive WAR last season…
Not to mention they also have that buster who shall not be named on that terrible contract as another outfielder
Buster Olney?
I seriously doubt he can get $13 million AAv, but he should be able to easily get a 3/30 deal.
Please be the mariners DH
Please come be the Mariners DH!!!
It would be fun to see him DH at Coors Field full-time just to watch the ball fly.
Braves really need to go get him and do so without hesitation
Too inconsistent to give a longterm deal but he might be able to top the 13 even if it’s for a year
Remember the Profar!
It’s simply a FA market decision to me. The demand for offense far outweighs available FA hitters. The ones who had a strong 23 season will get inflated salaries. Supply and demand. This offseason is unlike any we’ve seen in some time. Some top level pitchers out there and tons of mid-back end rotation guys are available as well as bullpen arms but Bellinger had two disastrous seasons and a great 23 he’s gonna get big money teams will overlook 21 and 22 there aren’t safer options and less you have Ohtani money and that’s maybe 3-4 teams