Chicago Cubs: Ranking the greatest players of the last decade: #50-#41

Chicago Cubs: No. 42 – Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler was supposed to be part of the crop of up-and-coming young players that formed the Cubs’ core as they began their rebuild under Theo Epstein, along with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Addison Russell. It didn’t quite work out with the Cubs, but Soler still made some contributions to the Cubs in the middle part of the decade.

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The Cubs signed Soler as a free agent in June of 2012, as several teams were competing for his services. Still, giving a nine-year contract to an unproven player was considered a big risk by many. After a couple solid minor league seasons, Soler earned a call-up in late 2014 and impressed, hitting eight doubles and five home runs while driving in 20 and batting .292 in just 24 games.

Over the next two years, Soler was given the opportunity to earn everyday playing time, and though he did contribute on offense, he didn’t live up to expectations and also was subpar on defense. In 101 games in 2015, Soler hit 10 home runs and drove in 47. Then in 86 games in 2016, he hit 12 home runs and drove in 31.

Deciding that Soler just wasn’t working out, the Cubs decided to trade him to the Kansas City Royals for closer Wade Davis. Soler floundered in Kansas City for a couple of seasons before finally busting through in a big way in 2019, leading the league with a whopping 48 home runs.

Despite not being the star that everyone was hoping for with the Cubs, Soler will always be remembered for being a part of the 2015 and 2016 squads. Though success came later elsewhere, he’ll always be remembered for that.