Kansas City Royals: What new representation could mean for Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler has fired ACES and moved to Casey Close of Excel. What effect does this change in representation have on the Kansas City Royals’ ability to negotiate a contract extension with the breakout AL home run champion?

What an incredible breakout season Designated Hitter/Outfielder Jorge Soler had for the Kansas City Royals in 2019.

Soler shattered the Royals franchise record for home runs in a season and he established himself as one of the most feared hitters in the American League, putting up a second half stat line of .299/.411/.665, with 15 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs, and 45 walks (+3 IBB) vs 70 Ks.

• Career: .255/.336/.478, 91 2B, 3 3B, 86 HR, 10/13 SBs – 469 games in 6 years (79 games per year)
• 2019: .265/.354/.569, 33 2B, 1 3B, 48 HR, 73 BB (3 IBB), 178 Ks, 3/4 SB (589 ABs) – 162 games

Soler’s biggest breakout in 2019 isn’t found in his stunning production, but it was with his health. For the first time in Soler’s career he played in all 162 games.

Soler showed glimpses of a breakout in 2018 before succumbing to injury after 61 games. The work ethic Soler has shown since being traded to the Royals before the 2017 season finally paid off in 2019 when he was able to show his full potential as prodigious power hitter. The Royals have never had a player with this much power potential outside of Bo Jackson, whose career was cut short by injury.

Soler has taken advantage of his massive breakout season and opted out of his team friendly contract he signed out of Cuba with the Chicago Cubs for 9 years/$30 million. Soler will be subjected to arbitration this off-season, which will dramatically increase his paycheck from $4 million to a projected $11.2 million.

Soler will have one more year of arbitration eligibility for 2021 season where his projected paycheck will be above $14 million if he produces similar numbers to his 2019 season in 2020.

Soler has decided to change his agent representation as a result of his breakout. He has hired Casey Close of Excel Sports Management to be his representation for the 2020 season. Close has represented players Alex Gordon, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Derrek Lee, Ben Sheets, and Josh Hamilton.

According to the references on Close’s Wikipedia page,

"Some of the larger deals negotiated by Close for his clients include: a five-year, $125 million contract extension for Ryan Howard in 2010; a 10-year, $189 million deal for Jeter in 2000 (at the time the second richest contract in baseball history); a three-year $51 million deal for Jeter in December 2010; a five-year $65 million deal for Derrek Lee in 2006; and a one-year $10 million contract (with $2 million in performance bonuses) for Ben Sheets in 2010."

What kind of offer would Casey Close and Jorge Soler need from the Royals to accept an extension keeping the power hitter in the Royals lineup for the next competitive roster?

Jorge Soler finally had the breakout industry experts expected when he signed with the Cubs in 2014. He has always had the talent to be a prodigious power hitter, but has had issues remaining healthy with his violent swing. Oblique injuries hampered his development early in his career.

Entering into his prime years, Soler looks ready to take off as one of the premier sluggers in the MLB. At times he flashes average defensive ability in right field with a powerful arm. However, most times he is a liability in the field and this hurts his value going forward as he will likely be relegated to designated hitter duties.

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Soler hasn’t had a healthy track record and that may limit his and Close’s negotiating leverage. If Soler is able to duplicate his performance from 2019 in 2020, then the Royals will be in a disadvantage in terms of negotiating leverage. The time is ripe to negotiate for all parties involved to negotiate a long-term extension as Soler turns 28 years old in February.

Prediction

If Soler remains healthy, he can carry over his second half of 2019 into 2020, which would be an even more ridiculously stunning season statistically. Soler is capable of hitting .280/.400/.600 with +40 home runs leading the Royals as the middle of the order power bat they’ve long desired.

If the Kansas City Royals believe in his breakout and development, they should make an extension offer to Soler for 4 years/$62 million (2020 – $12 million, 2021 – $14 million, 2022 – $18 million, 2023 – $18 million, team option for 2024 – $23 million).

Accepting the offer would solidify the middle of the Royals lineup for the future and guarantee Soler some security if injuries come back. This deal is similar to the contract extension Alex Gordon and Casey Close negotiated with the Royals in 2016 (4 years/$72 million).