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Since Barry Bonds left the team in 2007, no San Francisco Giants player has been able to hit more than 30 home runs in a single season, but now the team has signed a player with serious pop in his bat that may break that curse during the 2024 MLB season.
According to Susan Slusser from The San Francisco Chronicle, later confirmed by MLB and the team, the Giants signed Cuban outfielder and World Series MVP Jorge Soler for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, improving their newly revamped lineup.
Per Alex Pavlovic from NBC Sports Bay Area, Soler signed a three-year deal with the Giants worth $42 million, which includes a $9 million g bonus besides his base salary.
Much needed power for the Giants lineup
Pavlovic mentions that Giants manager Bob Melvin plans to use Soler primarily as a designated hitter for both righties and lefties, with the sensation that the Cuban will hit in the four-hole spot in the lineup.
Soler has been one of MLB's most powerful bats in recent seasons, hitting 132 since the 2019 campaign, tied with Freddie Freeman and hitting more dingers than other powerhouses around the league like Mike Trout, José Ramírez, Yordán Álvarez, Bryce Harper, or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to name a few household names.
In fact, he led the American League in home runs during the 2019 season with 49 bombs. In 2023, he was selected to his first All-Star and finished the year with .250/.341/.512 slash line, 36 homers, 75 RBIs, 128 OPS+ and 1.8 WAR.