Do the Miami Marlins have a chance to bring back Jorge Soler?

The Miami Marlins still need a designated hitter and Peter Bendix should still hopefully bring someone in before Spring Training. Could that someone in be the returning Jorge Soler? First, I'm not sure that bringing him back is actually that great of an idea. Second, it was a mistake not to issue him a Qualifying Offer. So what's going on and will he end up returning to The Fish?

The Miami Marlins could have a chance to bring back Designated Hitter Jorge Soler

Offense is an important area for the Miami Marlins to fix, and bringing in a competent designated hitter is probably the best way to do this. Of course that doesn't mean that the team doesn't need a SS for example, just that replacing or bringing back Soler at DH is a must.

Jorge Soler is a gamble. He's injury prone and inconsistent. When he's good, he bats .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs (like he did in 2023). When he's bad, he misses most of the season and bats .207/.295/.400, like he did in 2022. He's so unpredictable that I just can't imagine trusting him to deliver. Those 36 home runs though....

An important thing to mention is that the free agent market for hitters is pretty bad this season. This is why it was so odd that the Miami Marlins didn't offer him a Qualifying Offer. Had he rejected, The Fish would've received a draft pick. Had he accepted, he'd be much safer on a one-year deal.

The market for Jorge Soler doesn't appear to be particularly strong, making the lack of a QO offer confusing. Assuming that he's looking for $15-20 million a year on a multiyear deal, and looking at the options...the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and possibly Toronto Blue Jays stand out as the cleanest fits. The Fish are on the list as well.

It's sadly obvious that The Fish's chances are based on whether the above higher spending teams decide not to spend on Soler. You can technically add the San Francisco Giants to the list, but they have some DH options already. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up with a one-year deal, as despite the bad market for hitters, his weaknesses and likely price tag might be too unappealing to most teams.

As you can see, the Miami Marlins really should've just offered Jorge Soler a QO, as the reward far outweighed the risk. At this point, Soler's returning to The Fish is based on the interest of higher spending teams.