Boston Red Sox fans have been jonesing for the front office to sign an impact bat all offseason. Jorge Soler's bat, in particular, would work wonders for the Red Sox lineup. Batting in between Jarren Duran, speed extraordinaire, and Rafael Devers, extra-base hit machine, would make too much sense.
He would come at a reasonable price and Boston would be able to stay under the luxury tax threshold. He could mash home runs out of hitter-friendly Fenway Park. It's the stuff of Sox fan dreams.
But Soler all but confirmed he'll be playing elsewhere this season with a sneaky hint. The slugger has changed his Instagram profile picture to a shot of himself on base at Oracle Park.
Jorge Soler makes small change that suggests he won't be playing for the Red Sox in 2024
The Giants are also in desperate need for power on their roster and they've been in talks with Soler as of late. JD Martinez would also be a fine option for San Francisco, but he hasn't dropped any hints as clear as this.
Wow Jorge Soler's profile picture is at Oracle Park. It's a done deal ➡️ #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/wP8m37OI05
— NothingLikeIt (@NothingLikeItSF) February 7, 2024
The 31-year-old slugger hit 36 home runs last season and batted .250/.341/.512. Soler tends to whiff frequently and Baseball Savant ranks him in the 33rd percentile in strikeout rate and 37th in whiff rate. But the rate at which Soler racks up extra bases makes his deficiencies worth the risk and his bat worth the price.
The Red Sox have been linked to Soler for months and had a long time to get a deal together. After letting Justin Turner walk, fans felt more sure about a deal with the righty coming to fruition.
But not even Theo Epstein can force the Sox to make a move.
It seems certain now that Boston has let yet another easy free-agent target slip through its fingers. On Feb. 5 at Truck Day festivities, CEO Sam Kennedy made it seem like the Red Sox might make another move to try and fill out the roster. Adding an offensive powerhouse like Soler would make sense when all of the pitching candidates available are asking for astronomical prices and unreasonably lengthy contracts.
But, as they've made clear before, the 2024 Red Sox don't do things that make sense.