It looks like Marlins PBO made the right call on a slugger

I was very critical of Miami Marlins PBO Peter Bendix's actions last off-season regarding outgoing DH Jorge Soler. I didn't understand why he didn't issue him a Qualifying Offer. I thought that having him on a one-year deal would be fine. The alternative was of course getting a draft pick had he rejected it. I'm starting to see that Bendix may have had a point in avoiding giving him one.

Was Peter Bendix right in not giving Jorge Soler a Qualifying Offer?

Jorge Soler is one of the more polarizing players in the Major Leagues. He's either a middle of the order power bat carrying your team (just ask the 2021 Atlanta Braves). He can also spend most of the season on the injured list (just ask the 2022 Miami Marlins) and just be a hole in the lineup.

Jorge Soler is a very unreliable player. He's a terrible defender (career -10.6 dWAR) who can't hit well for contact. He has power, but that's reallythe only asset that he has. He certainly doesn't have speed and isn't helpful running the bases. Signing him to a long-term deal was never a good idea, and the San Francisco Giants will continue to wallow in mediocrity with moves such as a 3-year deal for Soler.

I didn't understand why Peter Bendix couldn't just give Soler a Qualifying Offer. Had he stayed, he might have batted .250/.341/.512, with 36 home runs and 75 RBI, like he did in his contract year last season in 137 games and 504 AB. That's better than a multi-year deal, when he can easily miss most of the season and bat .207/.295/.400, like he did in 2022 for The Fish.

He's such a risky player, that I can see why Bendix was worried about committing $20.325 million to him for one year. It's highly probable that teams would not have been willing to give up a draft pick for him. As a result, it's likely that after consulting his agent, Soler would just accept the QO. The fear of that happening is probably what kept Bendix from issuing it. Jorge Soler is currently as of May 29, batting .206/.293/.363, with 6 home runs and 15 RBI, in 44 games and 160 AB. He wouldn't be helping the Miami Marlins had he stayed.