Red Sox: 3 J.D. Martinez replacements Chaim Bloom can sign post-lockout

Red Sox: Jorge Soler could be a J.D. Martinez replacement

Soler turned a late-season surge in Atlanta into a World Series MVP award. Now, he hopes that helps him out come his next contract.

While he’ll be 30 years old before Opening Day, Soler is a legitimate power threat from the right side of the plate, which is exactly what Bloom is looking for. His early-season struggles with the Royals are concerning, but as Over the Monster notes, a late-season change to his approach could pay dividends long-term.

"“That said, it’s worth noting there was a real change here for Soler. Above we alluded to swing and miss issues for the slugger, who has spent most of his career striking out somewhere between a quarter and a third of his plate appearances. That was the case with the Royals in 2021, too, as he carried a 27 percent strikeout rate. After the trade, that rate dropped way down to under 19 percent. Not only that, but his plate discipline numbers supported the change, with his chase rate cutting down to what would be a career-low over a full season while his swing rate on pitches in the zone would be the highest of his career,” Matt Collins of Over the Monster wrote."

Soler is a more affordable option than either Schwarber or Castellanos, which could make for an attractive fit in Boston. His late-season surge was inspired by real changes to his swing, so it doesn’t appear to be a fluke.

Soler hit nearly 50 home runs with the Royals in 2019. He finished last year on a complete tear. Signing him to near half the price of what Schwarber and Castellanos would cost (FanGraphs predicts a two-year deal worth near $20 million total) is a steal.