World Series MVP Jorge Soler Reportedly Agrees to 3-Year, $36M Marlins Contract
Jorge Soler helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a championship as the World Series MVP, but his time with the team is reportedly coming to an end.
The Miami Marlins agreed to sign the slugger to a three-year, $36 million deal Saturday, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com and ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Atlanta acquired Soler via trade from the Kansas City Royals in July in a move that rejuvenated his season. He slashed .192/.288/.370 with 13 home runs and 37 RBI in 94 games with the Royals in 2021 but hit an impressive .269/.358/.524 with 14 home runs and 33 RBI in 55 games with Atlanta.
The Braves also went from three games under .500 on Aug. 1 to a National League East crown.
While Soler missed time in the playoffs after he was placed on the reserve list after testing positive for COVID-19, he returned and played the role of hero in the Fall Classic victory over the Houston Astros by slashing .300/.391/.800 with three home runs and six RBI in six games.
That his performance came right before his contract was set to expire made it all the better for Soler.
He spent his first three seasons with the Chicago Cubs from 2014 through 2016 and helped them break their championship drought that dated back to 1908. He was also with the Royals from 2017 until they traded him to Atlanta.
It wasn't a massive surprise Soler was so productive down the stretch of the 2021 campaign with Atlanta considering he wasn't far removed from when he led the entire league with 48 home runs to go with 117 RBI in 2019.
Soler also hit .265 that season, so he wasn't entirely home run dependent.
The 2016 and 2021 World Series champion will be 30 years old during the 2022 season for Miami, a team who needed to address the offense this offseason but abstained from splashing out major cash to chase some of the more prominent free agents available.
While 2019 remains something of an outlier compared to the rest of his career, Soler impressed for the Braves, has postseason experience and has always been known for his power. That, along with the fact that he should still theoretically be in his prime, should help him remain productive on this new deal.
