Jorge Soler ‘ready to play ball’ as he officially joins Marlins at spring training
The smile rarely left Jorge Soler’s face as he made his way from back field to back field on Tuesday morning. He joked with new Miami Marlins teammates as they stretched, as he shagged fly balls and as they admired baseballs flying off his bat during batting practice — both in the cage and in three live at-bats against pitching prospect Edward Cabrera.
And then, to cap off the day, he received his white No. 12 jersey from principal owner and chairman Bruce Sherman.
The latest piece in a retooled Marlins lineup had officially arrived.
The Marlins on Tuesday officially announced Soler’s signing, a three-year, $36 million deal that was agreed to on Saturday. The deal includes opt outs after both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Isan Diaz, the last player on Miami’s 40-man roster from the Christian Yelich trade, was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
“We’ve talked about the length of our lineup getting better,” manager Don Mattingly said. “He gives us another guy in that lineup that’s dangerous, that’s really offensive.”
Soler, 30, is a career .246 hitter over eight MLB seasons with 307 runs scored, 343 RBI and 121 home runs — 83 of which have come over the last three seasons. He led the American League with 48 home runs in 2019 while with the Kansas City Royals and hit 14 homers in 55 games with the Atlanta Braves to close out the 2021 regular season after being dealt by Kansas City at the trade deadline.
He was the World Series MVP for the Braves last season after going hitting .300 (6 for 16) with three home runs, six RBI and four runs scored over six games.
“I feel I can hit in any park, in any place,” Soler said. “Any decision that Donnie decides, any spot in the lineup, any position, I’ll be ready to play ball.”
The Marlins’ plan, at least to start, is for Soler to split time between left field and designated hitter. He will add another threat to the middle of a Marlins lineup that also features Jesus Aguilar, Avisail Garcia and Garrett Cooper.
Soler said he talked regularly with over the offseason with Aguilar — “he talks a lot,” Soler quipped — and the possibility of being part of the lineup Miami was creating enticed him.
“During the offseason, I prepared myself a lot to be ready to play the outfield,” Soler said. “I’m also ready to play the DH, too.”
Being able to play close to home was enticing, too. Soler, who defected from Cuba in 2011, lives in Miami. His parents live there. His wife and kids live there.
Home games at loanDepot park will be a family affair for the Solers.
“My wife has had the opportunity to watch me play because she travels with me,” Soler said. “My parents didn’t have that possibility, so it’s very exciting just to have my whole family have the chance to watch me play.”
Mattingly is also excited to watch him play now that Soler is part of the manager’s lineup and not the scouting report.
“Now he’s on our side,” Mattingly said, “so it’s a lot more fun.”
Soler isn’t going to be getting into spring training games immediately. The focus for now, Mattingly said, is to “make sure his legs are good and underneath him.” He’ll get a healthy dose of live at-bats on back fields for the time being until the Marlins decide he’s ready to go.
But when he’s ready to go, he will be a welcomed addition.
“We know our pitching is going to take us so far,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said, “but if we actually can have these kinds of players in the middle of the lineup like Coop, Avi, Agui and Soler now, it’s a different lineup. It’s going to be really hard to navigate through those four.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 1:45 PM.
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