Jorge Soler Rumors: AL East team expected to be frontrunners for star slugger, per report
Jorge Soler has generated much interest after making himself a free agent. The slugger opted out of his final year with the Miami Marlins, leaving $13 million on the table.
With Spring Training quickly approaching, teams are preparing their final contract offers to try to entice Soler into signing with them. So far, the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners have been closely tied to the hard-hitting Cuban.
However, they are not the only ones interested in acquiring Soler. MLB Insider Bob Nightengale views the Boston Red Sox as a perfect fit:
"The Red Sox have been relatively quiet all winter (with the only noise being the fanbase screaming for action) but the unrest should at least be momentarily subdued with a Soler signing," Nightengale said.
Boston has not done much this offseason besides bringing in Lucas Giolito, Tyler O'Neill and Vaughn Grissom. This was after the front office publicly stated the team would make impactful moves during the offseason.
The Red Sox desperately need someone to fill the hole in the middle of their batting order. Justin Turner, who reached free agency this winter, signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jorge Soler would be the perfect fit. He is coming off a season where he appeared in 137 games, hitting .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs and 75 RBIs. Last season also marked the first time he played over 100 games in two years.
Who else is interested in Jorge Soler?
One team that could desperately use some more offense in their lineup is the New York Mets. They could use another source of power to compliment All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
However, signing him may be a tough ask. The Mets have a payroll exceeding $300 million and are ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to monster deals.
However, fans should not rule out the possibility of Jorge Soler returning to the Marlins either. While they did not show much interest at the start of free agency, they have reportedly been in contact with the slugger lately.
As the start of the season inches closer, Soler's market should get hot. He is one of the most prominent impact players left on the open market and would be a great addition to any team that signs him.