The San Francisco Giants have finally made a heavy addition to their hitting lineup. Reports have emerged that the Bay Bombers have agreed to a 3-year, $42 million deal with the former World Series MVP Jorge Soler. The slugger had his first All-Star season in 2023 where he hit 36 homers for the Miami Marlins.

The Bay Bombers haven’t had a slugger hit over 30 homers since Barry Bonds did in 2004. So with this addition, the Giants may have solved a huge issue in their offense. At the same time, it looks like Soler’s decision to bet on himself has paid off for him.

Jorge Soler bets on himself and gets a big deal

Jorge Soler was offered a $13 million player option with the Marlins which he rejected. On the back of a season that saw him drag the Marlins to a surprise postseason appearance, Soler had hoped to find a great deal. While links with the Giants emerged a few days ago, they were quick to catch fire. So it’s not a surprise that it has resulted in a deal between the two. Soler ended up getting himself a 3-year deal with an AAV of $14 million.

This could be a big addition to the Giants’ lineup. Not only do they finally have a heavy hitter, but they also have someone who consistently ranks on top of quality hits. According to Statcast, in expected slugging and expected wOBA, Soler was 94th percentile. Simultaneously in Barrel rate, the slugger was 91st percentile. So despite having a hitting average of .250, he was effective where it counted.

This is huge news for a team that ranked 9th in the NL home runs in 2023 and was 15th in slugging percentage. While the Bay Bombers have added Jung-Ho Lee to their ranks, he has never been a heavy hitter. The “Grandson of the Wind” has always been a contact hitter, whose strengths lie in his base running and walking ability. As a result, a slugger signing became a must.

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The Bay Bombers were at first linked with Matt Chapman as well. But now with the addition of Soler, San Fran looks quite balanced. The team has been in a downward spiral ever since a surprise 107-win season in 2021. Hopefully, with the addition of the former World Series MVP, they’d regain some of their lustre.

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