A handful of marquee free agents remain without a team as spring training quickly approaches, but a former World Series MVP could be on his way to the west coast. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the San Francisco Giants are in talks with the power-hitting Jorge Soler. The 31-year-old made the All-Star team for the first time in his career last season, hitting 36 home runs in 580 plate appearances. Soler played a big part in the Miami Marlins success, appearing in 137 games last season.
The New York Mets have had interest in adding an alternative to Mark Vientos to be the team’s designated hitter, and Soler felt like a good fit. His ability to play in right field could have been an asset to the team, especially if Starling Marte continues to struggle with a variety of injuries. If the Mets decide that is an area that would like to address, it may be time to move on from Soler.
J.D. Martinez is a name that the Mets have been linked to throughout the off-season, and with Shohei Ohtani going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a return to them is no longer an option. Other potential fits include Tommy Pham, Donovan Solano, Brandon Belt, and while the Mets don’t appear to be in the mix for him, Cody Bellinger is still a free agent. Opening Day is 52 days away, so the team still has a bit of time to decide whether or not they want to add to their pool of position players.
