How Much Reunion With Former Cubs Slugger Might Cost

The Chicago Cubs are exploring plenty of free-agent hitting options, and one of their former players could be of help.

As the Chicago Cubs explore their free-agent hitting options, there is one player they’ve been connected with recently that could be had for less than $20 million per year and would give them help at designated hitter.

The New York Post recently consulted two baseball salary experts for predictions on what several hitters could get on the open market. The Post’s Jon Heyman also weighed in.

One of those players was former Miami slugger Jorge Soler, who opted out of the final year of his contract recently. Per MLB.com, he is one of the Top 25 free agents on the market and he was connected to three teams — the Chicago Cubs, the Miami Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles.

Yes, Soler is a former Cub. Other teams are certain to explore signing him, and he’ll likely be looking for more than the $9 million he would have made in 2024, had he stayed in Miami.

But how much more? Post experts believe he could see a significant raise, depending on the length of the deal.

The experts, and Heyman, believe Soler will get either a two-year or three-year deal, with a range in total cost from $34 million to $42 million.

That $42 million price tag was for the three-year deal, giving the deal a $14 million average annual value.

The other two deals were for two years — one for $36 million and one for $34 million, which is a range of $17-18 million per year.

In Soler the team that signs him would get a former World Series MVP, an award he claimed with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.

Soler hit 36 home runs in 2023 — the second-most of his career — but he also comes with some risk. In 10 MLB seasons with the Cubs (where he won a World Series in 2016), Kansas City, Atlanta and Miami, he’s only played 100 or more games in a season just four times.

Since he hit an AL-leading 48 home runs in 2019, he has been more consistent at the plate.

With Miami in 2023 he played in 137 games, but 102 of those came at designated hitter. The other 32 were in right field.

With the Cubs, he would add power at the DH spot on a consistent basis and be able to help them occasionally as a corner outfielder — if the Cubs and Soler are interested in a reunion.