A Jorge Soler reunion could give the Cubs added power on the cheap

As I lay awake on the basement couch through much of the night as my 10-month-old decided that daddy's shoulder made for a better bed than her crib, I killed a good chunk of time watching old Cubs games from 2015.

That led me down a rabbit hole, digging into Jorge Soler a bit on Baseball Reference and realizing that he had himself a nice little year down in Miami, smacking 36 home runs and earning the first All-Star selection of his big league career. Perhaps most notably, I saw Soler's contract has a player option for 2024, meaning he could, at least in theory, be available on the free agent market this winter.

Cubs could use more power - and Jorge Soler has plenty of it

The option, initially valued at $9 million, climbs to $13 million after Soler hit each of the plate appearance total escalators in the deal. Still, it's not hard to envision him getting more guaranteed money on the open market this offseason, especially in a free agent class that's relatively weak in terms of power bats.

Cody Bellinger led the Cubs in home runs this year and his future on the North Side is anything but certain. He's poised to cash in after his return to form in Chicago this season and will be a hot commodity. But regardless of what happens there, Soler would make a welcome addition as the team's primary DH - especially if Jed Hoyer winds up trading Christopher Morel this winter, as has been speculated of late.

Soler's OPS would have ranked second on the Cubs in 2023, behind only Bellinger - and his Statcast page looks like it's on fire. He still pounds the ball and would be more than capable of doing damage to the left field videoboard at Wrigley next summer. If Chicago wants a middle-of-the-order bat that won't break the bank, this familiar face might be the best fit out there.