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The Giants have agreed to a three-year contract with the free agent designated hitter/outfielder. Jorge Soler, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The agreement is pending a physical examination. Soler is a client of the MVP Sports Group.
Talks between Soler and the Giants have continued for at least the past week. As of this morning, the Giants were reportedly still in contention, but had opposed Soler’s request for a guaranteed third season. That, it seems, has changed throughout the day.
Soler, 32, opted out of the final season of his three-year, $36 million contract with the Marlins in November after hitting 36 home runs and hitting .250/.341/.512 on the season (126 wRC+). . Soler posted the second-best walk and strikeout rates of his career at 11.4% and 24.3%, respectively, and Statcast ranked him in the 81st percentile or better in average exit velocity, hard hit rate, and barrel rate.
It’s the kind of power profile the Giants have been lacking in recent years. The 2023 Giants ranked 19th in the Majors in home runs (174), 24th in runs scored (674), 28th in average (.235), 24th in on-base percentage (.312) and 27th in slugging percentage (. 383). . Notably, the Giants haven’t had a player with a 30-homer season since Barry Bonds in 2004, and have only had one 20-homer hitter in their lineup in each of the last two seasons (Joc Pederson with 23 in 2022 and Wilmer Flores with 23 last year).
Soler brings a totally different type of power. Last year’s 36 big fly balls were only the second most he has hit in a season. Soler led the American League with 48 home runs for the Royals in 2019, and although his injuries limited him to just two 30-home run seasons in his career, he averaged 32 home runs per 162 games played in his career. Since that 2019 breakout, Soler ranks 17th among 302 qualified hitters with a .248 isolated power mark (slugging minus batting average). Overall, he has hit .240/.331/.488 during that time.
The path that Soler takes to reach his production is not the simplest. He is a streaky hitter throughout the season and volatile from a year-to-year standpoint, with his 2019 and 2023 production hovering between excellent, while his 2022 numbers were decidedly below average. Even in the 2021 season in which Soler caught fire following a trade to Atlanta and was named World Series MVP, he was hitting just .198/.288/.377 in 360 plate appearances at the time. Kansas City traded him. He dropped .269 / .358 / .524 after the change of scenery. A three-year deal with Soler seems to have its ups and downs, but he’s the kind of bat who can almost single-handedly carry a lineup for short periods, given his top-notch power.
Although he has plenty of experience in the corner outfield, Soler isn’t likely to spend much time there in San Francisco. His defensive ratings have continued to decline over the years, and the Marlins only played him sparingly in right field, including just 241 innings last year. Soler has only twice reached 500 defensive tackles played in a season. He will serve as the Giants’ primary designated hitter, although it is possible that he will make occasional appearances in left or right field.
That’s especially true given that Soler offers a nice right-handed complement to left-handed corner outfielders like Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski. Production against left-handed pitching, in particular, was an issue for the 2023 Giants (.245/.306/.376). Soler’s mammoth .277/.393/.688 slash against lefties last year represents a huge boost for San Francisco in such situations.
Adding Soler to the lineup will likely reduce playing time for JD Davis I Wilmer Flores against right-handed opponents, but that’s a trio of powerful right-handed bats to bring out against left-handed opponents. New substitute receiver Tom Murphy (career 126 wRC+ against lefties) should help in that regard as well, as should a full season as a switch-hitting catcher. Patrick Bailey, who delighted in lefties but fought against righties. Overall, San Francisco’s lineup seems much more equipped to handle left-handed pitching than last year’s club.
While financial terms have yet to come to light, the payroll issue should not be an issue for the Giants. Before the Soler deal, San Francisco’s estimated $155 million payroll was more than $33 million from its 2023 levels and more than $46 million below the team’s franchise-record payroll levels. Even if Giants ownership isn’t willing to set a new roster mark, there would be room to add both Soler and another high-profile free agent. To that end, it’s worth noting that the Giants have been linked to high-profile names like Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jordan Montgomery in recent weeks. An agreement with Soler should not prevent them from continuing with those activities.