On Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants signed free agent outfielder Jorge Soler to a three-year contract worth $42 million.
The moment that Soler takes the field for the Giants, he'll do something that hasn't been done in nearly the last 20 years of team history.
Per Cuban Baseball Insider Francys Romero on social media:
Jorge Soler will be the first Cuban-born player to wear the San Francisco Giants uniform since Alex Sanchez (2005), a 19-year waiting period.
Given all the talent that originates from Cuba, that seems unfathomable, but here we are.
Soler is a huge get for the Giants and really helps punctuate their offseason.
Soler joins Jung Ho Lee, Jordan Hicks and Robbie Ray as major acquisitions for the Giants over the last few months. San Francisco finished fourth in the National League West a season ago and is looking to return to the playoffs. The team also added a new manager in Bob Melvin.
The Giants were 19th last season in the majors in home runs and they were 24th in runs scored, so Soler should help improve those numbers in a big way.
Soler hit 36 homers last year for the Miami Marlins and is absolutely capable of anchoring a lineup when he's hot.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old also hit 48 homers back in the 2019 season with the Royals. That led the American League. He's also a two-time World Series champion (Royals and Braves) and brings veteran experience to the clubhouse.
Soler hit .250 last season with a .341 on-base percentage.
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