Free-agent outfielder Jorge Soler just won the second World Series ring of his MLB career.
The 29-year-old was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline, and it wound up being a fantastic move for both Soler and the Braves.
That is, of course, due to the fact that Atlanta claimed the 2021 title.
The championship run probably wouldn’t have happened without Soler, as the eight-year veteran made a massive impact for the Braves and was even named World Series MVP.
But now that the campaign is over, it remains to be seen where he is going to land as a free agent this offseason.
Will there be a competitive market for him?
Aside from his impressive three-month run with the Braves, did he do enough in 2021 to boost his stock?
Let’s discuss.
Soler’s Move From The Royals To Braves Was The Best Thing That Could Have Happened To Him In 2021
Soler wasn’t having a memorable season before the trade deadline.
In fact, he was arguably a liability, batting .192 with a .658 OPS over 94 games with the Royals.
But after he was traded to the Braves, everything changed for him.
The Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a deal to acquire Jorge Soler from the Kansas City Royals, according to sources familiar with the situation.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 30, 2021
Perhaps he just needed to play for a contending squad in order to gain some motivation.
Soler slashed .269/.358/.524 over 55 regular-season games with Atlanta, blasting 14 home runs and 11 doubles along the way.
Then, in the postseason, he turned things up a notch.
He went on an outstanding run in the playoffs which included an epic hot streak in the World Series.
The two-time champ batted .300 with a 1.191 OPS and three home runs over six World Series games.
That's how you start a World Series!@Braves go up 1-0 on a Jorge Soler home run.
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/0hqUINHkhX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 27, 2021
SOLER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. pic.twitter.com/IOc5wXreRb
— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2021
No wonder he was named the MVP of the series.
Soler’s free-agent stock was dangerously low before he was traded, but that’s definitely not the case after his stint with the Braves.
His solid track record (118 OPS+ since 2018) should help his perceived value a lot, too.
The verdict is that he shouldn’t have any trouble finding a home in 2022.
Let’s look at some possible landing spots for him.
Where Might Soler Land?
Of course, the first club that comes to mind as a potential suitor for Soler is the Braves.
The two sides obviously just had a fantastic few months together, and fans would love to have Soler back.
Moreover, Atlanta is going to need to address its outfield situation going into 2022, so a new deal with the World Series hero would make a lot of sense.
Atlanta aside, there are plenty of teams in need of outfield help.
The Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams that fit that description.
Of those teams, it seems like Pirates fans are campaigning the hardest on social media for their team to sign Soler.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but the bottom line is that this guy is definitely going to attract some interest this offseason.
As far as a landing spot goes, all we can do is speculate at this point.
Time will tell where he ends up.
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