After The Giants Sign Jorge Soler For $42 Million, Will The Team Get Its Money’s Worth?

Former Miami Marlins right fielder Jorge Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the San Francisco Giants last week.

Heading into his eleventh year in the major leagues, the near 32-year-old slugger will join his fifth team. Soler was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and spent three seasons there, five with the Kansas City Royals, one with the Atlanta Braves after a midseason trade, and his two most recent and successful years with the Miami Marlins. After hitting 36 home runs on 137 plate appearances last season, Soler opted out of his final year with the Marlins and has landed in San Fransisco.

Soler was the 2021 World Series MVP for the Braves after hitting three home runs in five games against the Houston Astros. He made his first all-star appearance last year. Apart from his World Series performance in 2021, it’s been a while since he has played at this level, so it’s no surprise that he opted into free agency.

The Marlins used Soler primarily as a designated hitter over the last two seasons, and he is expected to take on a similar role with the Giants.

The Giants will hope that Soler adds some slugging power to the batting lineup to improve their 19th-place ranking in home runs in home runs at 174 and 27th in slugging percentage at .383%. The Giants haven’t had a player hit more than 30 home runs since Barry Bonds dropped 45 in 2004. That’s something Soler has done twice and certainly has the potential to achieve again next season.

To go along with his power though, there is a lot of swing-and-miss potential. Soler has been an up-and-down player for most of his career, so it will be interesting to see if he can produce consistent numbers at the plate in his three years with the Giants.