Jorge Soler shakes hands with Royals GM Dayton Moore.
The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Soler, 27, had a breakout year in 2019, becoming the first Royal to lead the American League in home runs, hitting a team-record 48. His total was 10 more than the previous record, set by Mike Moustakas in 2017. His home run total also set a Major League record by a Cuban-born player, topping Rafael Palmeiro’s 1999 and 2001 totals by one. The right-handed slugger also collected a career-high 117 RBI, which tied for second in the American League and were the most by a Royal since 2000, when Mike Sweeney set the club record (144) and Jermaine Dye had 118. Soler also ranked fourth in the AL in extra-base hits (82), fifth in slugging percentage (.569) and seventh in OPS (.922).
Soler was acquired by the Royals in an offseason trade with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
