Soler shares Marlins were his 'top choice' team

JUPITER, Fla. -- Strapping his No. 12 Marlins jersey over his shoulders for the first time, Jorge Soler beamed Tuesday outside of his new spring clubhouse and spoke of coming home. The reigning World Series MVP has lived in Miami since defecting from Cuba early last decade, returning to Southern Florida each winter as he blossomed into an elite slugger with the Cubs, Royals and Braves. So when he reached free agency on the heels of a historic October with Atlanta last year, there was nowhere more he wanted to land.

“I feel very proud to be here, playing for the Cuban community; it’s like playing at home,” Soler said. “It was easy to sign with the Marlins. That was my top choice.”

Consider the timing fortuitous. For a Marlins club looking to bolster its lineup with an impact bat, Soler's background, skillset and pedigree provided an excellent fit. The three-year, $36 million contract finalized with Soler this week marked another splash in an offseason spent addressing its offense, after the club added utility man Joey Wendle (via trade), Avisaíl García (via free agency) and extended shortstop Miguel Rojas.

"He's an offensive weapon, one that we talked about throughout the offseason," general manager Kim Ng said. "His track record, the ability to hit 48 home runs one year, I think that was of great appeal. And then I think most recently his postseason success and his ability to perform under pressure. He's one of the few players that actually has [two rings]. So that was of course of great interest. And then him wanting to be in Miami. We love those players that want to come be a part of the community. The community is really important to the organization."

It also will make Soler the 10th Cuban-born player to suit up for Miami, and the first since Odrisamer Despaigne in 2018.

"It's very exciting to have my whole family here," Soler said. "They're going to have the chance to watch [me] play. Also, some -- a lot of friends from my hometown, they're going to be able to come and join too.”

Soler's deal pays $12 million in 2021, $15 million in '23 and $9 million in '24, according to various reports, and it includes up to $4 million in incentives for the final year with opt-outs after both ‘22 and ‘23. It's the second multi-year free agent deal of the offseason for the Marlins, who also signed Garcia to a four-year, $53 million pact prior to the lockout. All told, Miami could wind up paying the pair a combined $96 million over the life of the deals -- in other words, $86 million less than Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, two of its early-winter targets, received from the Phillies.

“We talk about the length of our lineup getting better, and he gives us another guy in that lineup,” manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s dangerous. If you look at him over the last five or six years, he's one of the top guys in terms of swing decisions … Last year in Atlanta, we saw him up close and personal on a more daily basis, and that's not near as much fun. But now he's on our side, so it's a lot more fun.”

The 30-year-old Soler is a late-bloomer who signed with the Cubs in 2012 and emerged as a tantalizing prospect given his physicality and immense raw power. But he didn't fully blossom until ‘19, when he broke out to lead the American League with 48 home runs after a trade to Kansas City. Soler slumped in 2020 and through the first half of '21 before landing in Atlanta via trade. He produced 14 homers and an .882 OPS down the stretch for the Braves, then homered three times in six World Series games to capture the championship MVP honors.

Historically a below-average defender in right field, Soler will play mostly left field and DH in Miami, with García slated for everyday reps in right. The team is also working out Brian Anderson in left field this spring, with an eye toward maximizing its options with three bat-first corner infielders -- Anderson, Jesús Aguilar, and Garrett Cooper -- rostered. Wendle can play just about anywhere, providing additional versatility.

The goal being to play the best matchups and get as many bats in the lineup on a nightly basis, after the Marlins finished 29th in both OPS and runs and 28th in homers in 2021. In Soler, they brought in a slugger who found success in pitcher-friendly home parks in both Kansas City and Atlanta, and who is undaunted by the cavernous confines at loanDepot Park.

“Guys with that kind of power don't worry about the ballpark,” Mattingly said. “When they hit them, they go.”

Said Soler: “I feel like I can hit at any park.”