The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the post-lockout offseason with a new spot to fill on their roster in the newly added universal designated hitter. The inclusion in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) opened the door for players whose primary value is at the plate.
L.A. is as notable team as any when it comes to maximizing potential and catching lightning in a bottle with players, and who better to do that with than the 2021 World Series MVP, Jorge Soler. A number of teams are have said to be among those interested in the services of Soler, with the Dodgers being one of them.
According to Mike Rodriguez of Univision, L.A. and several other teams have made contact with Soler in free agency:
Equipos interesados y que están en este momento hablando con en el Jardinero/DH MVP Jorge Soler #JorgeSoler #National, #Guardians #marlins, #redsox, #yankees, #atlanta #dodgers, #cubs #whitesox , #mets, #Philadelphia, #Rays y #Orioles ✍🏽@JeffPassan @BNightengale @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/aXIG0Nn0Jh
— Mike Rodriguez | Univision 🍥 (@mikedeportes) March 11, 2022
Soler is coming off of a season in which he severely underperformed with the Kansas City Royals which led to being traded to the Atlanta Braves in July and quickly becoming a force in the lineup.
Over 55 regular-season games with Braves, Soler batted .269/.358/.524 with 14 home runs and 33 RBI. His second-half success carried into the playoffs and amounted to stellar power numbers in the World Series.
The 30-year-old is expected to receive a multi-year contract worth $12 million annually, based on projections.
Adding Soler to the Dodgers roster would certainly be a huge boost to an already-potent lineup and his second-half production likely aided his free agency market.
Dodgers re-sign Clayton Kershaw
The Dodgers were open about their desire to not only re-sign Clayton Kershaw in free agency, but also have the three-time Cy Young Award winner ultimately retire after playing for the only franchise that drafted him.
The 33-year-old became a free agent after the 2021 season for the first time in his career. On two separate occasions Kershaw previously signed a contract extension to remain with the Dodgers without hitting the open market.
He reportedly elected to remain with the team by re-signing on a one-year, $17 million contract for the 2022 regular season.
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