Report: Diamondbacks considering Jorge Soler, seek more offensive help
Dec 8, 2023, 10:46 AM | Updated: 10:57 am
Jorge Soler #12 of the Miami Marlins celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring during the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 30, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are actively searching for a free-agent bat with an opening at designated hitter — if not outfielder — and have shown interest in Miami Marlins free agent Jorge Soler, reports The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
He adds the D-backs “ultimately might prefer to spread their money among several hitters.” The Seattle Mariners are also reportedly interested in Soler.
The 31-year-old Soler played 102 games as a designated hitter and 32 in the outfield for Miami last season, making his first MLB All-Star team.
He slashed .250/.341/.512 with a .853 OPS that would have ranked second on the D-backs last season after Corbin Carroll’s .868 figure.
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The addition of Soler, along with Arizona’s trade to acquire third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Mariners, would add punch to an offense in terms of hard-hit rates but add to the strikeout totals for a team that was tied for the fourth-lowest strikeout rate (20.7%) in the majors.
Suarez led the majors with 214 strikeouts last season, while Soler had 141. For reference, Arizona’s leaders in strikeouts were Christian Walker (127) and Carroll (125).
The Diamondbacks agreed with left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez on a four-year, $80 million deal earlier this week, so adding a middle-of-the-order bat of Soler’s caliber would stretch the payroll even further.
Still, Rosenthal reports that the D-backs “remain very much in pursuit of offensive help.”
The Athletic projects a Soler multi-year deal to sit around $15-16 million annually.
