Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox whiffed on multiple righty outfield free agent candidates who would've diversified their batting order. Slugger Jorge Soler was among their misses.
Soler signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the San Francisco Giants days before spring training began. His tenure with the Giants was short-lived, though, and he was sent back to one of his 2021 squads, the Atlanta Braves, before the trade deadline.
Bleacher Report named Soler the Braves' prime trade candidate before the 2025 season begins. Atlanta already picked up an option on Marcell Ozuna's contract that would keep him in the city for another year, and the organization doesn't have much use for Soler with him to fill the designated hitter spot. The Braves also expect Ronald Acuña Jr. to be back in action early in the 2025 season after he recovers from ACL surgery that kept him sidelined since May.
Bleacher Report named the Red Sox among the top destinations for Soler. But the Sox and Braves don't need him for all the same reasons.
Bleacher Report names Red Sox among top trade destinations for Jorge Soler, but other clubs fit better
Jorge Soler hit this baseball to a different universe 🚀 #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Ww7RB3r3bw
— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2024
Boston is desperate for power from the right-handed batter's box, but its outfield is packed and it already has an everyday designated hitter in Masataka Yoshida. Lefty outfielders and Yoshida are expected to be on the trade block this winter, but Yoshida may be immobile after he underwent shoulder surgery on Oct. 3.
Even if the Red Sox dish a lefty outfielder to make room for a right-handed replacement, Soler is a far worse option defensively, especially at Fenway Park. He posted negative seven outs above average over 46 appearances in the Braves' outfield in 2024. Soler is a right fielder by trade, and Fenway is arguably the hardest right field in the league — Wilyer Abreu played it with ease, Soler would not.
Soler also didn't post the quality offense the Giants or Braves hoped for. He slashed .241/.338/.442 with a .780 OPS with 21 homers between both clubs. He clocked 36 homers with the Marlins in 2023 and San Francisco's Oracle Park is far from the most hitter-friendly in the league, but Soler's power streak was missing this season.
Soler's offense would be well suited to Fenway Park if he can find his home run swing more often, but he makes as little sense for the 2025 Red Sox as he does for the Braves. Boston's DH spot is filled for now and its entire outfield beats Soler defensively.