NL East

Jorge Soler will return to the Miami Marlins after exercising his $15 million player option for the 2023 MLB season, according to Craig Mish of SportsGrid.

Marlins LF Jorge Soler will not opt-out of his deal with the Marlins, per source. Soler will now earn $15 million dollars with Miami in 2023. He can opt-out after 2023, or exercise his final player option for $9 million dollars in 2024.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) November 8, 2022

The veteran outfielder caught fire with the Atlanta Braves in the second half of the 2021 campaign, slugging .524 and hitting 14 home runs in 55 games. He carried that form into the postseason and was crowned World Series MVP after his three home runs and six RBI helped propel Atlanta to a title.

you already know we had to give Jorge Soler the final BatCast™️ of the season pic.twitter.com/ZtATFWVXuA

— Cut4 (@Cut4) November 3, 2021

Unfortunately for the Marlins, Soler fell back to earth in a big way this year. In 72 games, he had 13 homers, 34 RBI and a .207/.295/.400 slash line. Per FanGraphs, his .305 wOBA and 98 wRC+ were his lowest since 2017.

Soler's season ended in mid-July. The Marlins placed him on the injured list July 23 because of lower-back spasms, and he never returned to the field.

It continued a trend for the Cuban. He has played a full 162-game season once in his career and eclipsed 100 games on only two other occasions since arriving in the majors in 2014.

Speaking to reporters Sept. 12, the 30-year-old said he and his agent hadn't yet given much thought to whether he would trigger his option or become a free agent. He did, however, reference the improvement he and the Marlins would need to make in 2023.

"It was not the ideal season for any of us, not for me, not for the whole team," he said. "We didn't prove the expectation that everybody was actually waiting for. We just have to keep working hard and work for the next season."

From a financial perspective, staying in Miami is the sensible decision. It's difficult to envision another team gives Soler a $15 million salary in 2023 on the back of such an underwhelming season.

The Marlins presumably expected this outcome as well and slotted him into their lineup as the starting left fielder or designated hitter.

Getting back to full health and having a clean slate may help Soler rebound next year. Some of his underlying metrics raise cause for concern, though.

Soler has struck out at a high volume across his career with a 27.2 percent strikeout rate.

In 2019, he offset that by leading the American League in home runs (48) and slugging .569 with the Kansas City Royals. As he ages and his power starts to wane, his strikeouts will become a bigger problem because when he does make contact, what used to be home runs will start to stay in the park.

There are signs the shift is happening.

Soler's isolated power hit a peak of .304 and has declined each year since then, hitting .193 in 2022. According to Baseball Savant, his hard-hit percentage has fallen from a high of 51.1 percent in 2020 to 47.0 in 2021 and 43.6 in 2022 as well. His home run to fly ball rate across the last two years (16.7 and 17.8 percent) is below his career average of 19.4 percent, per FanGraphs.

If he can stay healthy, Soler's production could tick back upward, but Miami might find itself having to work around his limitations even more at the plate.

The New York Mets are reportedly "most worried" about the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers as they attempt to re-sign starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

SNY's Andy Martino reported Tuesday the Mets are expected to make a "strong" offer to bring back deGrom early in free agency but aren't planning to stay in a long-term bidding war with the Braves, Rangers and other interested clubs if that's how the situation plays out.

Martino also noted the two sides have had "preliminary contact":

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1590084279551528960

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1590084769186185217

The top of New York's pitching staff is the main point of concern as free agency gets prepared to open Thursday, especially after the team was able to re-sign closer Edwin Diaz to solidify the back end of the bullpen.

There are a lot of question marks behind Max Scherzer, which means multiple additions could be necessary if Carlos Carrasco and Chris Bassitt also depart.

DeGrom coming back would provide a major boost, but it doesn't sound like the Mets' front office is willing to meet or exceed any offer to keep him.

The club is willing to pay fair market value or "perhaps go a bit higher" but will otherwise attempt to fill the void in another way, per Martino.

Watching the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who's pitched his entire nine-year career with the Mets, land with the NL East rival Braves would be a tough pill to swallow, though.

Atlanta already features one of MLB's best rotations with Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton, and picking up a starter with a 2.52 ERA across 209 career starts would give the Braves the best starting group in baseball.

Meanwhile, deGrom represents a bigger need for the Rangers, who have more talent on their roster than their 68-94 record in 2022 would indicate. One of the missing pieces is a true ace.

In October, Texas general manager Chris Young didn't hide his intention to enter free agency with an eye toward improving the rotation.

"We will be active on the free-agent market with the intention of signing multiple starting pitchers," Young told reporters.

Landing deGrom would be a massive step in the right direction toward rebuilding that area of the roster.

All told, it's hard to imagine the Mets won't do everything in their power to keep their longtime ace, but all signs point toward ample competition on the market.

Jacob deGrom's time with the New York Mets may end this offseason.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday that there is some belief the right-hander "seems pretty likely to leave." It may come down to money, as Heyman wrote that there are "strong indications" the National League East team will not be the one to offer him a megadeal that is higher than Max Scherzer's record $43.3 million per year contract.

There is no questioning deGrrom's talent.

His resume includes two National League Cy Young awards, an NL Rookie of the Year, four All-Star selections and an ERA title. He is nearly unhittable when healthy and would be the ace for almost any staff in the entire league.

Yet the "when healthy" part is doing plenty of heavy lifting.

The 34-year-old may be somewhat past his prime and has struggled from a durability standpoint. He made 30 or more appearances four times in a five-year span from 2015 through 2019 but pitched in 12 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020, 15 games in 2021 and 11 games this past season.

Nobody knows better than the Mets how up-and-down life with deGrom can be as arguably the best pitcher in the league but also someone who struggles to stay healthy. After all, he has pitched with the team his entire career.

While his ERA jumped from 1.08 in 2021 to 3.08 in 2022, there were other impressive numbers in a small sample size this past season. He finished with a sparkling 0.75 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 64.1 innings, which are statistics that would put him in position to compete for another Cy Young if made across more starts.

DeGrom will surely command a major salary as a free agent this offseason, given his talent and what he can be when he is healthy.

But it seems like the Mets might not be the ones to pay it.

The Philadelphia Phillies exercised Aaron Nola's $16 million option for the 2023 season on Monday.

The move doesn't come as a surprise. While Nola had his ups and downs in the 2022 season as the No. 2 option in the rotation behind Zack Wheeler, he still finished 11-13 with a 3.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 235 strikeouts in 205 innings.

He made five starts during the Phillies' run to the 2022 World Series, winning games in each of the first two rounds. He did take the loss in Game 4 of the World Series, in which the Houston Astros no-hit Philadelphia.

The Astros won the series in six games, putting an end to the Phillies' remarkable postseason run.

The 29-year-old hasn't emerged as the true ace he appeared on track to be after finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting in 2018 (2.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 224 strikeouts in 212.1 innings), his lone All-Star season, but he's also not a player the Phillies would want to lose come free agency.

Inconsistency was the difference between Nola having an excellent and simply good season in 2022. In six Junes games, for instance, he went 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA. But he struggled in August, going 2-3 in five starts with a 4.22 ERA.

Still, Nola misses bats, with 200 or more strikeouts in each of his last four non-COVID-shortened seasons. Keeping him at the $16 million price point and earning another year to work out an extension made total sense for the Phillies as they look to win a World Series around a core of Bryce Harper, Wheeler, Nola, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and Nick Castellanos.

Other moves will need to follow, namely in a bullpen that was the team's Achilles heel last season, but keeping Nola for at least one more season was a no-brainer.

The Philadelphia Phillies embarked on an incredible run after entering the playoffs as the National League's sixth and final postseason team, but they fell just short of their ultimate goal after losing four games to two to the Houston Astros.

The Phils swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Wild Card Round after notably scoring six ninth-inning runs in Game 1 to overcome a late 2-0 deficit.

Philadelphia then broke out the bats to defeat the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the division series, scoring a total of 24 runs in its three wins.

The Phils then defeated a fellow underdog team in the San Diego Padres four games to one in the Championship Series, with Bryce Harper delivering a dramatic two-run homer in the eighth inning of a 4-3 pennant-clinching win.

The World Series started with a tremendous amount of promise after the Phillies overcame a 5-0 Game 1 deficit to win the opener in Houston 6-5. The Phils dropped Game 2 but won Game 3 after hitting five home runs.

However, the bats went silent for Games 4-6, with the team combining for just three runs during that stretch.

Despite the tough ending, the Phillies have a lot to be proud of, especially considering a 22-29 start that led to the firing of manager Joe Girardi.

Interim manager Rob Thomson took over and guided the 87-win team to the playoffs, where the Phils entered as major underdogs in a National League that had three teams with 101 or more wins.

But the Phillies rolled through the NL playoffs to create a magical season.

Ultimately, the Phillies' excellent playoff run is the biggest takeaway post-World Series, and Twitter gave Philadelphia credit for its efforts.

https://twitter.com/DisgruntledPhan/status/1589088436316966914

Astros 4, Phillies 1. Houston has won the World Series, and the Phillies' enchanted run through the postseason is over. They took a 2-1 series lead, then scored four runs in the next three games -- all losses. Hell of a run.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) November 6, 2022

Anyone. Any #Phillies fans. Tell me that on June 5, September 5, you thought we’d still be watching this team on November 5th. What a ride. pic.twitter.com/KMQYmADrA3

— PHILLIES BELL (@PhilliesBell) November 6, 2022

Thank you #Phillies. It has been an incredible month!!! You've given a whole new generation of fans memories that will last forever. We will see you in Clearwooder! #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/9ULBfVxxMW

— Chris Manero (@CoachManero) November 6, 2022

https://twitter.com/PhilSportsVoice/status/1589094690095501313

Disappointing ending, but I'll alway remember this Phillies run. What an incredible journey. These #Phillies brought us so much joy for the last month, and the way that they just kept fighting and finding ways to win despite being perpetual underdogs was perfectly Philadelphia.

— Paul Rakszawski (@Paul_Rakszawski) November 6, 2022

Damn, it sucks that the run is over. The 2022 Phillies were a lot of fun in the postseason. Good job boys. #Phillies

— Laaaaaaarry (@lwrncjones) November 6, 2022

This ride has been wild and fun! We stunned the cardinals, eliminated the braves, and sent the Padres crying. It’s going to take me weeks to stop missing them, win or lose! I love this team and the magic they’ve shown this post season 🥹❤️⚾️ #Phillies #WorldSeries @Phillies pic.twitter.com/4dRsZdQ9FC

— Dani (@dAnconA822) November 6, 2022

Thank you, #Phillies for an unforgettable playoff run. Came out of nowhere and provided some epic and incredible moments. Sucks not to win it all and it hurts, but man, that was fun

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) November 6, 2022

Philadelphia won its first pennant since 2009 and eighth overall this season. The two-time World Series champions hadn't made the playoffs since 2011.

As the Atlanta Braves watch the 2022 World Series unfold without them, they're planning to regroup and reload in the offseason. Atlanta won 101 games during the regular season but was ousted in the divisional round by the eventual NL champion Philadelphia Phillies.

High on the Braves' to-do list is working out a new deal with All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson. The 28-year-old was an integral part of last year's championship team, and he returned on a one-year, $10 million deal following arbitration.

Now an impending free agent, Swanson will hit the open market five days after the World Series ends if Atlanta doesn't first reach an extension.

Atlanta wants Swanson back, and according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there is mutual interest, and the team has made an opening offer:

"The Braves made an opening offer in-season to star shortstop Dansby Swanson, and sources suggested it was in the $100 million ballpark. The friend thought Swanson, a Georgia product, preferred to stay in Atlanta. That’s probably just a start, but it sounded like there’s work to do. (Our expert’s pick was 75 percent higher)."

The Braves' interest in locking up Swanson is logical. He's young, plays a vital position and is coming off arguably his best season in the majors. In his inaugural All-Star campaign, Swanson batted .277 with 25 home runs and 96 RBI. He also received his first Gold Glove Award.

Officially official ✨

Dansby Swanson wins his first career Gold Glove. pic.twitter.com/UlRtAaSZ1v

— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) November 1, 2022

Fortunately, it sounds like the Braves have a good chance of retaining Swanson in the offseason. Until he puts pen to paper, however, there remains a chance that they could lose him.

This is why Atlanta should, and reportedly does, have a backup plan in place. That plan appears to involve Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner.

There has been speculation that Turner would prefer to play on the East Coast, and according to Heyman, Turner is on Atlanta's radar:

"As for Turner, the latest rumor has the Braves as a possible fit if they fail to keep the Atlanta product Swanson (they also like Correa). The Cardinals, Phillies and Red Sox are among other potential spots closer to his supposed geographic preference (he’s from Lake Worth, Fla.; his wife New Jersey)."

Heyman also mentioned Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, who plans to opt out. Turner, though, would seem to be the most likely target, if he is indeed looking to play out East.

The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reported last month that the Dodgers and Turner did not engage in extension talks during the season.

"The Dodgers informed Turner shortly before the start of the year they wouldn’t make him a formal offer, and there haven’t been any discussions between the two sides about an extension since," Ardaya wrote.

The 29-year-old is coming off of back-to-back All-Star campaigns and was the NL batting champion and stolen-base leader in 2021. This past season, he hit .298 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI to go with 27 stolen bases.

Like Swanson, Turner has World Series experience. He's also seasoned against National League pitchers, having played for the Washington Nationals before joining L.A. in 2021.

In short, Turner is a similarly young and top-end player who would seamlessly replace Swanson as a long-term building block in Atlanta. Correa—who is 28 years old and also a former champion and two-time All-Star—is a wonderful Plan C.

This is a good offseason to be in the shortstop market, and it provides the Braves with quality alternatives at the position. While Atlanta and its fans would probably prefer to just keep the home-grown Swanson in the fold, losing him won't necessarily end in disaster.

To avoid shortstop becoming a weakness, however, the Braves must be prepared to pivot when and if extension talks with Swanson hit a snag. While there are alternatives, they won't remain available for long.

If you believe Jacob deGrom is keeping teammates updated on what he wants to happen during free agency, Mark Canha has some hopeful news for New York Mets fans.

Speaking to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Canha said deGrom has told him he wants to remain with the Mets.

"Jake told me he wants to come back, too, and he really likes it here, too." Canha said. "I’m hopeful for Jake."

The Mets have a lot of big free-agent decisions to make this offseason with their own players, let alone anyone from other teams they may want to pursue.

Per Spotrac, the Mets already have the highest payroll in MLB for the 2023 season at $205.5 million before free agency. The Philadelphia Phillies are No. 2 with $172.2 million in salary commitments.

DeGrom, Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo are their top three free agents. SNY.tv's Andy Martino reported earlier this week the Mets are "prioritizing" Díaz and Nimmo over all the other internal free agents.

ESPN's Jeff Passan said on The Pat McAfee Show in September that Díaz could become the first closer to sign a contract worth at least $100 million. The right-hander was dominant in 2022 with 32 saves, a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings.

Nimmo should have no problem getting at least $100 million from a team on his next deal. The 29-year-old hit .274/.367/.433 with 53 extra-base hits in 151 games last season. He has an .827 career OPS and plays a premium position in center field.

It's more difficult to figure out what the market will be for deGrom. He is 34 years old and has only thrown 156.1 innings in 26 starts over the past two seasons combined due to injuries.

DeGrom's stuff was very good when he made his 2022 debut in August. His fastball averaged 98.9 mph and his slider averaged a career-high 92.7 mph, per FanGraphs.com. He finished the season with a 3.08 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.

The Mets are the only organization deGrom has ever known. They selected him in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB draft and he made his big-league debut in 2014.

It would seem to be in the Mets' best interest to re-sign deGrom. Owner Steve Cohen has made big, aggressive moves with the hope of winning a World Series. They came up short in that quest this season, but their 101 victories during the regular season were tied for second-most in the NL.

New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler is reportedly "less likely" to target free agents who receive qualifying contract offers from their current teams.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday the Mets are wary of losing draft picks as compensation for those possible signings, which could impact their pursuit of New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge or San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Carlos Rodón.

The Mets have been frequently mentioned as a possible landing spot for Judge, who launched 62 home runs in 2022, but that's more related to the big-spending ways of team owner Steve Cohen than a glaring need in the outfield.

New York's projected outfield starters for 2023 are Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte and Mark Canha. That's not to say the longtime Yankees slugger wouldn't upgrade that group, but there are certainly bigger issues for the front office to address heading into the offseason.

The club must solidify its starting rotation, especially if Jacob deGrom leaves in free agency, vastly improve the bullpen and potentially find new starters at second base and catcher.

That's a lot of money to spend, either via free-agent signings or trade acquisitions, before even considering whether to offer upward of $300 million to Judge.

The Mets could still pursue the four-time All-Star, but it'll more likely happen if his free-agent process drags out a bit to give them time to fill other holes first and get some financial clarity.

Meanwhile, Rodón seems like an ideal fit on paper as a high-end lefty starter who could complement Max Scherzer and deGrom, if re-signed.

The 29-year-old Miami native recorded a 2.88 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 237 strikeouts in 178 innings for the Giants this season. That followed up a 2021 season with the Chicago White Sox where he compiled a 2.37 ERA.

Ultimately, if the Mets aren't interested in relinquishing draft picks as part of their free-agent efforts, it's going to limit the number of impact players they'll be able to pursue.

It wouldn't be a surprise if that stance changes at some point over the winter if the club's roster-building process isn't yielding the desired results.

The downhill portion of the roller coaster that is the Philadelphia Phillies' offense continued at the worst possible time for the National League champions.

Philadelphia appeared ready to ride its powerful bats to a World Series crown when it blasted five home runs off Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 3. Then it looked like the worst offense in the world during a combined no-hitter for Houston pitchers in Game 4.

And it didn't look much better while missing countless opportunities during a 3-2 loss in Thursday's Game 5 at Citizens Bank Park, which gave the Astros a 3-2 lead in the series and the chance to close things out at home in Game 6 or 7.

It seemed like the Phillies' offense from Game 3 returned when Kyle Schwarber launched a leadoff home run off Justin Verlander in the bottom of the first inning, but that was the end of the scoring until the eighth for the home team.

Even that one-run inning was defined by a missed chance, as Trey Mancini robbed Schwarber of a potential extra-base hit with two runners on base. Just for good measure, the heartbreak theme continued when Chas McCormick made an incredible leaping catch at the wall on a deep drive by J.T. Realmuto in the ninth.

Social media reacted to all the close calls and offensive letdowns from the NL representatives:

Phillies blew that one. Had plenty of chances.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 4, 2022

Trey Mancini with a potential game-saving play at first 😳 @astrospic.twitter.com/XSQLcde1cL

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 4, 2022

CHAS MCCORMICK! WHAT A CATCH 🔥

(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/3VDpUsEvDI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 4, 2022

The Phillies offense these past 2 games. 😅 pic.twitter.com/aLZqY8bI4r

— theScore (@theScore) November 4, 2022

The Phillies pitching staff has done all you can ask tonight. The offense needs to step up and come through

— Tom Kelly (@TommyKelly44) November 4, 2022

Phillies are 0 for their last 20 with RISP. Haven't had a hit with runners in scoring position since Game 1.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) November 4, 2022

The Astros’ best hitters are executing. They just don’t strike out. Phillies hitters, not so much these last few games.

— John Stolnis (@JohnStolnis) November 4, 2022

holding segura on saved the astros there. that was a ROPE

— Robby Kalland (@RKalland) November 4, 2022

Also this: The Phillies haven't had a hit with runners in scoring position since Game 1 of this series (0 for last 18 through the 3rd inning).

FROM ELIAS: The last team to have a hitless streak with RISP that long in the World Series was the 2008 Phillies (0-19).

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2022

https://twitter.com/PanasonicDX4500/status/1588350981003444224

Astros have made some incredible plays late in this game. Wow.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 4, 2022

And the Philly kid, Chas McCormick, makes the crazy-good catch that just might crush the Phillies' hopes in Game 5. Wow, that was impressive.

— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) November 4, 2022

Two tough losses. Bats were pretty silent. I think they’ll bounce back in Houston.#RingTheBell

— Brian Guest (@brguest20) November 4, 2022

Runs figured to be at a premium against Verlander, who could be on his way to a third career Cy Young this season. The only way Philadelphia was going to win was by taking advantage of its chances, and it did the exact opposite of that as the future Hall of Famer battled out of jams throughout his five innings.

Verlander struck out Rhys Hoskins with the bases loaded in the second inning, retired Bryson Stott with a fly out with two runners on in the third inning and induced a fly out from Nick Castellanos with a runner on second in the fifth inning.

That pattern continued against the bullpen when Schwarber grounded out with two runners on in the sixth and eighth innings. Both were hard-hit balls, but the slugger ended up with nothing to show for it.

It simply wasn't enough run support for Noah Syndergaard, who had the unenviable task of going up against Verlander and was driven out of the game in the fourth after giving up an RBI single and solo homer to Jeremy Peña.

If the offense isn't better in Game 6 on Saturday, the Phillies' magical run will come to an end.

The New York Mets announced outfielder Starling Marte underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury.

The recovery for this procedure usually takes eight weeks, providing time for him to compete at Spring Training without restrictions.

D.J. Short of NBC Sports noted Marte suffered the original injury on July 9, although he missed just four games before returning. He also missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a fractured finger before playing in the postseason.

Marte finished the season hitting .292 with 16 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 118 games, earning his second career All-Star selection.

The 34-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Mets as a free agent last offseason and finished third on the team with an .814 OPS. He was a key part of the team finishing with 101 wins, tied for third-most in the majors while earning a playoff appearance for the first time since 2016.

With three years remaining under contract, Marte should remain an important part of the lineup in 2023, especially with center fielder Brandon Nimmo hitting free agency.

Marte only played two games in center last season for the Mets, but he played it almost exclusively over the past four years with the Oakland Athletics, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates. It gives the team added versatility and options heading into the offseason.

The next challenge will be to stay healthy after missing over 40 games in each of the past two seasons.